'GOAT Jacques Kallis averaged 22...' - Kevin Pietersen requests critics to back Shubman Gill

Legendary England National Cricket Team batsman Kevin Pietersen has come out in support of the star India National Cricket Team top-order batsman Shubman Gill, who has been going through a lean patch in the longest format of the game for a significant period of time.

Shubman Gill is regarded as the next big thing in Indian cricket and he has delivered some astonishing performances for India National Cricket Team in T20Is, ODIs as well as Tests. However, there has been a dip in Gill’s form and he has mainly struggled to perform in Test cricket.

Gill started as an opening batsman in Test cricket and delivered some notable performances for the India National Cricket Team. However, he wasn’t scoring runs consistently for the side. With the emergence of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Gill himself told the team management that he wanted to play at No.3 and made the way for Jaiswal at the top of the order.

Gill had big shoes to fill at No.3 in Test cricket as that was the number of Cheteshwar Pujara, who is undoubtedly one of India’s greatest Test batters. So far, Shubman Gill has failed while batting at the No.3 position both at home and away from home.

The young right-handed batsman had a torrid run on the South African tour where India played a two-match Test series and he has also struggled to get going in the ongoing five-match home Test series against Ben Stokes-led England National Cricket Team. In the first Test in Hyderabad, he registered the scores of 23 & 0 and faced heavy criticism from fans and experts.

He’s a serious player – Kevin Pietersen on Shubman Gill

Expectations were sky-high from Gill to perform in the second Test, which is currently underway at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam. However, Gill again disappointed as he got the start, but then was cleaned up by the England great James Anderson. Gill scored a decent 34 runs off 46 balls, with 5 fours before walking back into the hut.

Gill was again slammed by many experts, but Kevin Pietersen came out in the defence of the batsman. The England batting great mentioned that the legendary South Africa National Cricket Team all-rounder Jacques Kallis had a poor average in his first 10 Test matches, but he ended his career as one of the all-time greats. He labeled Gill as a “serious player” and urged everyone to back the youngster amid his poor form.

“Kallis averaged 22 in his first 10 Tests and turned out to be arguably the greatest player to play the game. Give @ShubmanGill time to find it, please. He’s a serious player!,” Kevin Pietersen wrote on his official X handle.

Kallis averaged 22 in his first 10 Tests and turned out to be arguably the greatest player to play the game.

Give @ShubmanGill time to find it please.

He’s a serious player! #INDvENG

— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) February 2, 2024

Talking about the second Test match between the India National Cricket Team and the England National Cricket Team, the Rohit Sharma-led side finished the first day in a strong position, thanks to the heroics of Yashasvi Jaiswal.

The Rohit Sharma-led side were at 336/6 in 93 overs, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ravichandran Ashwin unbeaten out in the middle. Jaiswal was the top and the only performer for India in the innings. He slammed an outstanding 179 runs off 257 balls, with 17 fours and 5 sixes.