Kevin Pietersen namedrops Sachin Tendulkar as he highlights major flaw in Shubman Gill's technique
Shubman Gill can finally breathe a sigh of relief as the youngster smashed a magnificent ton against England in the second innings of the second Test at Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Vishakhapatnam. He was struggling with the form and was under a lot of scrutiny by cricket experts but now has finally found his redemption against England in the second Test of the five-match series. The 24-year-old batter completed his third century in Test cricket in 132 deliveries smashing 10 fours and two sixes.
Shubman Gill’s form witnessed a lean patch after his return from dengue in the ODI World Cup 2023 and since then he failed to score a single century in any format struggling to score big runs. He finally ends his drought against England and what makes it more special is the fact that it came in the red-ball format. Shubman Gill departed for 23 and a duck in the first Test and scored 34 in the first innings of the second Test getting out to James Anderson.
The right-handed batter was without a fifty-plus score from the last 13 innings and now has redeemed himself as a No.3 Test batter as he scores his first ton at this position. He was given the role of batting at No.3 during the West Indies series and since then, it has been a rough period for Gill in the longest format but this innings will give a ton of confidence to the youngster.
Despite Shubman Gill’s flawless performance, the former England captain, Kevin Pietersen pointed out a potential vulnerability in the youngster’s technique. While acknowledging Gill’s overall skill, Pietersen emphasized the absence of trigger movement in his batting. Pietersen suggested that incorporating this element into his repertoire, as seen in the techniques of some cricket legends, could further enhance Gill’s game.
Kevin Pietersen Points Out The Technical Flaw In Shubman Gill’s Batting
“There is one technical flaw and that is that he is not busy enough before the ball is bowled. And it is an argument I have had with people around, whether you have the trigger or not, whether you get yourself into the game. I believe that in the Test match arena, bowlers are just that little bit quicker and they make you make decisions quicker. The step up is that he does need the trigger. Shubman Gill’s batting is very… I would say almost lazy in the way that he stands at the crease,” Pietersen told host broadcasters Jio Cinema during the lunch interval.
“He waits for the ball to be delivered before he makes any movement. And what I would like for him to see from him is that on the load up, just get a little bit ready. Look at all the great players. Tendulkar didn’t do it that much but he did on occasion. Ricky Ponting, they say, didn’t have a trigger but he did have a front-foot press. Even Lara. They all had a trigger and brought themselves into the game before the release.”
Shubman Gill scored 104 off 147 deliveries in the second innings getting out to debutant Shoiab Bashir as he gloved a ball to the keeper and India is currently moving forward to a 400-run lead. India lost the first Test against England by 28 runs and the hosts are behind in the five-match series by 0-1. However, India has performed well in the second Test and is cruising towards a win to level the series 1-1.
India has not lost a Test series at home since the 2-1 defeat against England in 2012. The hosts have won 16 consecutive Test series at home and are looking to make it 17 by defeating England in the ongoing five-match Test series.
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IND vs ENG 2024 India National Cricket Team India vs England Test series Kevin Pietersen Shubman Gill
