Former Indian cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra said that Shubman Gill doesn’t look like a Test opener and highlighted some of his technical faults.
This despite Gill having smashed a sublime half-century on Day 1 of the first Test match against New Zealand.
On Day 1 of the opening Test of the two-match Test series in Kanpur, Shubman looked in exquisite touch in the first session and he notched up his third fifty, but he was dismissed by Kyle Jamieson soon after the lunch break on 52 off 93 balls on Thursday, November 25.
The 22-year-old Gill then lost his wicket to Jamieson, who clean bowled him and Chopra feels the right-hander’s weakness to playing in-swingers made him vulnerable at the top of the batting order.
Chopra said on Star Sports: “Whenever I see him play, he doesn’t look like a Test opener to me. The way he plays inside the line, the outside edge and inside edge are both exposed.”
However, the cricket analyst believes that Gill is better suited in the middle order because of his ability to play spin-bowling and his true color will be seen in the correct batting position in XI.
He signed off by saying, “But when he plays spin, he is tall and uses his feet well, uses the reach very well, his footwork is impeccable and his defense is also solid. The bat is always in front of the pad. In my opinion, he is a middle-order batter; he has been made to open. He has done well as an opener but his true color and form will be seen when he bats in the middle order.”
