IND vs WI: Shubman Gill Is Being A Bit Too Defensive: Wasim Jaffer

Former India batsman Wasim Jaffer has said that Team India would be looking to make a good start with the bat in the must-win fourth T20I against West Indies on Saturday (August 12).

Trailing the five-match series by 2-1, the Men in Blue need to win the fourth T20I at all costs to keep the series alive. One of the major concerns for Team India is the lack of a good start from the openers. Shubman Gill has had a very disappointing West Indies tour so far while Ishan Kishan and Yashasvi Jaiswal also failed to contribute big in the ongoing T20I series.

In the first two T20Is, Kishan opened the innings with Shubman Gill and registered scores of 6 and 27. In the third ODI, Jaiswal made his debut but could not impress as he was out for just 1. But it’s the form of Shubman Gill that is fast becoming a major headache for the team management ahead of the World Cup.

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The youngster has constantly struggled with the bat since the end of the IPL where he was the top run-scorer. In 9 innings across formats in West Indies so far, he has crossed the 50-run mark just once. With the series on the line, India will be hoping that the youngster roars back to form and fire them to a series-leveling win. And as India gear up for the penultimate match of the series, Wasim Jaffer has urged Shubman Gill to be aggressive.

“We have spoken about how important it is for the openers to get off to a good start in the powerplay and give players like Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma a good platform.

But they won’t be worried about it as they will know they need to show intent straightaway. Jaiswal will bat with aggressive intent and I feel Shubman Gill is being a bit too defensive. If he gets 2-3 good shots straightaway then that could make a huge difference,” Wasim Jaffer told ESPNcricinfo.

Wasim Jaffer calls for an extra batsman:

Speaking further, Wasim Jaffer also suggested Team India have an extra batter in the team. The lack of batting depth did hurt India in the first two games as they ended up losing both of them. He stated that India does have the luxury to replace one pacer in the team.

“It will be tempting to add an extra batter because Hardik Pandya has been bowling his four overs. The way Axar has been used and with Tilak as an option too, why not play an extra batter? Two wrist spinners should definitely play, but a pacer can be replaced. Will Hardik Pandya be able to bowl at the death? That’s something only he can answer,” said Wasim Jaffer.