While the focus will shift to the 50-over format for now, the team management would be wary of his mediocre run after playing ample games at his preferred position.
Shubman Gill’s Test career has been nothing less than a rollercoaster, for it has seen everything quickly. He started his tenure as an opener and found initial success before a run of poor performances forced him to ask for the No.3 spot.
At No.3, he couldn’t find instant rewards but slowly looked to be adapting to this new role after a decent home season in 2024. However, Gill couldn’t replicate the same in Australia, where he could only assemble 93 runs in five outings at an abysmal average of 18.60, with the best of 31.
On Cricbuzz, Dinesh Karthik has called out his mediocre performances in the longest format. While he has had a few starts, Gill hasn’t done well on spinning decks or bouncy tracks.
“With Shubman Gill, his returns have been diminishing. If you look at his Test record, they’ve played him at various spots – opening and No.3 – he’s had his fair share of chances, but even he knows that it’s not been great for a long time now. When India have played on tough pitches where it turns, he’s had his troubles (and) when India have played on pitches which definitely help the fast bowlers, he hasn’t gotten going. He showed some good form when England had come at the start of last year, got a couple of hundreds, and was looking good, but post that again, the returns have not been as good as they would want to be from a No.3 batter.”
While the focus will shift to the 50-over format for now, the team management would be wary of his mediocre run after playing ample games at his preferred position. Shubman Gill’s obvious troubles against moving ball will make him vulnerable in India’s next Test assignment in England, where they will play as many as five matches.
India have already seen the drawbacks of a misfiring No.3 in Australia and need someone with a solid technique who can counter movement and build his innings long. The temptation to stick with Gill despite middling returns is understandable, given his superior skillsets and improvements last season.
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He performed really well in the home season last time, and with his encouraging record in Australia, the team expected him to continue his good run. Still, they might take him to England and let him bat at No.3, where he has played ample innings.
If India want to try a new player, they should first try him in home games; since no home series are pending, Gill remains the only solution. A big experiment on an overseas tour can backfire, so the ideal thing will be to work on technical adjustments with Gill and let him bat at No.3; if he still fails, they can look for alternatives.
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