Image Source: AFP
[Saba Sports News] Ahead of the series against England, Shubman Gill faced scrutiny after failing to score a fifty in 12 innings, especially with Cheteshwar Pujara’s outstanding Ranji Trophy performance putting additional pressure on him.
Nevertheless, Gill responded with a century at No. 3, his first Test hundred in this position, followed by another century in Dharamsala, marking his fourth overall and second in 2024.
Despite these achievements, Gill’s father, Lakhwinder, a coach himself, expressed dissatisfaction with his son’s shift from opening to No. 3, questioning the strategic move despite the recent success.
“I try not to interfere too much with that. I just involve myself with his training, that’s it. At one down, you’re neither an opener nor a middle-order batter, and you are just stuck in the middle.”
“Then his game is also not like that. Like (Cheteshwar) Pujara was suited for the spot who had a defensive game. With the new ball, you get loose deliveries to pounce on. It is said the new ball is tough for the batters, but it is equally difficult for bowlers too. When you go in after 5-10 overs, the bowlers have adjusted as to which length to bowl…”
Lakhwinder, witnessing his son’s century at the stadium, advocated for the importance of team victory over individual achievements and suggested that Shubman’s natural game was better suited to opening, critiquing the adjustment to No. 3 as a strategic misstep, emphasizing the challenges and differences in batting approach required at different positions.