The former Aussie skipper and batting legend warned his countrymen to watch out for this young turk prior to the marquee clash at The Oval.
Prominent expert Ricky Ponting has been busy assessing the senior Indian and Australian teams prior to their much-anticipated clash for the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) at The Oval. The former Aussie skipper and batting legend has been keeping a close eye on developments within the two camps and identifying crucial picks who could be the difference between the two sides.
One of the players Ponting believes could be decisive to India’s fortunes in the UK this coming week is their young opening batter Shubman Gill, who has been in tremendous form since the beginning of the year and struck an exceptional hundred in his most recent Test innings in March.
Gill ended the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by firming up India’s grip on the four-match Test series with his freeflowing 128 off 235 on a slow Ahmedabad surface. The prodigious right-hander backed it up with unprecedented dominance over the last two months in IPL 2023 for Gujarat Titans (GT), blasting 851 runs in 16 innings.
The 23-year-old’s well-prophecied rise is great news for Indian cricket as it approaches a transition phase across formats, with Ponting identifying qualities in the young gun which would stand the test of times and hold him in good stead in the future.
Speaking to ICC, Ponting said Shubman Gill has got an “attitude” which would help him blossom against oppositions worldwide and fulfil the mighty talented cricketer that everyone envisions about him. Known for this attribute at his peak, Ponting said Gill has the ability to impose himself on the game.
“He looks like a terrific young guy,” Ponting said. “He’s got that bit of attitude about him as well. He’s got a bit of swagger. He has some serious class.”
Gill, who had a productive and impactful maiden Test series in India’s famous series win in Australia back in 2020-21, has always been a strong player of pace and bounce – a skill which shall come to good use as he faces upto an incisive Australian pace attack once again at The Oval from June 7.
Ponting feels specifically the ability to pull the short-of-length ball away shall allow the youngster to keep Pat Cummins & company in check and flourish with his range of strokeplay.
“That sort of front foot pull shot that he plays against the fast bowlers will be a shot that he’ll probably need against this Australian attack,” he added.
