IND vs SA: "Shubman Gill Needs To Deliver In Test Cricket.."- Former India Batter Lashes Out

Sanjay Manjrekar reckons Shubman Gill needs to prove himself in red-ball cricket and contribute with the bat to secure his spot in the Test team. Manjrekar’s comments came after Gill’s poor show in the first innings of the first Test between India and South Africa at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. Shubman Gill is yet to prove his potential in the red-ball circuit.

Sanjay Manrekar said there is no doubt that Shubman Gill is a class player and hailed the new Gujarat Titans skipper as the “real deal”. However, he urged the 24-year-old batter to be more consistent and score big runs in Test cricket.

Shubman Gill was dismissed on a delivery directed down the leg-side by South Africa’s debutant left-arm pacer Nandre Burger. Shubman Gill, who walked in at No. 3, gloved the ball to the wicketkeeper, failing to trouble the scorers much on an overcast morning in Centurion. India lost three wickets, including that of openers Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal, in the first hour of the opening day’s play.

Shubman Gill’s last big score in red-ball cricket came during the Border-Gavaskar trophy in March 2023 when he scored 128 in the final Test of the 4-match series against Australia in Ahmedabad. Since then, he has failed to cross the 30-run mark in six innings which included the WTC Finals and two-match series against West Indies.

Shubman Gill began his Test career as an opener but he had to adjust his spot and bat at No.3 since the West Indies tour as Indian Team management wanted Yashasvi Jaiswal to open the innings for India in red-ball. Gill last opened for India in Test cricket during the WTC Finals.

Shubman Gill Has Not Replicated His ODI Success In Test Cricket

“He is the real deal. There is a class there. Somebody who gets a 90 in his very first Test match in foreign condition against a good attack, has to have class. Now, finally, it has come to be about delivery, right? It’s about runs now. And his average at the moment is in the low 30s. He has been around for a while. The thing in India is that he has got batting competition coming through,” Manjrekar told Star Sports.

“Shubman Gill has to keep getting runs. If you look at his T20 performances, you know he is getting some serious competition there. Test cricket, I think, they will back him more, but the numbers have to keep coming. At the moment, Gill looks entrenched and established in the 50-over format. In the other two formats, there is work to be done, but class-wise, he is a real deal,” he added.

Shubman Gill has not been able to replicate his ODI success in Tests, managing two centuries and four half-centuries in 34 innings in a career that has spanned over 3 years. Over the past three years, Gill has not averaged more than 30 in Tests. It’s starting to concern the team management as India needs solidity at No. 3, a spot that was held by Cheteshwar Pujara for a long time.

Despite the top-order collapse, India crippled their way to 208/8 laying on the back of KL Rahul’s unbeaten 70. The first day saw 59 overs of game as rain and bad light caused interruption leading to an early finish of the first day at Centurion.