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Two poor knocks and Shubman Gill's batting average as the India National Cricket Team captain in Tests dropped instantly. Ahead of the Sri Lanka Test series, Gill's batting average was 82.76 as a Test-format captain. Now, after his dismissal in the second innings of the Galle Test, his average dropped to 73.33.
In the ongoing Test match, where Devdutt Padikkal and KL Rahul, especially Padikkal, performed swiftly with the bat, Gill struggled to face the Lankan spin attack. In the first and second innings, Shubman Gill was dismissed for 16 and 8 runs, respectively. After the two cheap dismissals, the question around his batting emerges: Is Shubman Gill weak against quality spin bowling?
Sri Lankan left-arm orthodox spinner Prabath Jayasuriya dismissed Shubman Gill twice in the Galle Test
In both of the innings, it was experienced Sri Lankan spinner Prabath Jayasuriya who dismissed the Indian skipper. According to stats, the right-hander's average against the left-arm orthodox spinners is not so impressive in the longest format of the game. In 2026, Gill dismissed the left-arm orthodox spinners twice in three innings with an average of only 17.5.
Shubman Gill’s Test batting stats against left-arm orthodox spinners (year by year):
Year | Innings | Runs | Balls | Outs | Avg |
2021 | 7 | 85 | 173 | 3 | 28.3 |
2022 | 4 | 50 | 129 | 2 | 25.0 |
2023 | 6 | 35 | 66 | 2 | 17.5 |
2024 | 14 | 236 | 483 | 8 | 29.5 |
2025 | 5 | 106 | 272 | 0 | |
2026 | 3 | 35 | 69 | 2 | 17.5 |
Total | 39 | 547 | 1,192 | 17 | 32.2 |
Shubman Gill had no prior experience playing a Test match in Sri Lanka ahead of the ongoing series
Another thing is that Gill has very limited experience playing in Sri Lanka, which might have backfired against Sri Lanka in Galle. After making his debut in Tests, it is the first Test series against Sri Lanka for the batter. And his first Test series in the island nation as well.
To get accustom with the spinning conditions on the island, the Indian cricket team played a three-day warm-up match in Colombo against the Sri Lanka Cricket XI. Unfortunately, Gill missed most of the match because of a finger injury. He came to bat in the second innings of the practice match and scored 44 runs, which was decent considering the challenging nature of the pitch.
While the Indian cricket team played the warm-up match with their first-team players, Sri Lanka Cricket fielded their playing combination with a combination of emerging players and first-team players.
Shubman Gill should eye big knocks in 2nd Test
Prabath Jayasuriya, who dismissed Gill in both innings of the Galle Test, was not a part of the warm-up match. So, the spinner confronted the opposing team captain with fresh challenges that Gill had never faced before. So Gill’s batting in the match in the first of the two-match series was under out-and-out fresh challenging circumstances.
The second and final match will be interesting to see whether the batter can manage the spinners. From the Galle Test, he will get some lessons, which could help him in batting in the series ahead.
