"Time's running out very fast for Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer" - Aakash Chopra
Published - 03 Feb 2024, 02:04 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:26 AM
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra expressed concern about Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer’s positions in the Test squad. Aakash Chopra stated that Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer might be dropped from the squad if they fail to score in the second innings.
The Rohit Sharma-led team is currently competing against England in the second Test of the five-match series. Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer were dismissed with low scores in India’s first innings of the ongoing red-ball match, scoring 34 and 27 runs, respectively.
It’s worth mentioning that Gill scored 23 runs in the first innings of the series opener, followed by a duck in the subsequent innings. Iyer managed to score 48 runs across the two innings. The duo also failed to make an impact with the bat in the Test series in South Africa.
Shubman Gill Got A Start – Aakash Chopra
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra stated that Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer might have only one more opportunity to secure their positions in the Test XI. Chopra criticized Gill, highlighting that he couldn’t capitalize on a good start.
“Time is running out very fast for Gill and Iyer. They have one more knock and I really hope that they score runs because if their next knocks don’t go good, the problems will become grave for both of them,” Chopra said.
“Shubman Gill got a start. He played slightly aggressively at the start for sure but after that, he got three edges in James Anderson’s two overs. The third edge carried to the keeper as well and he got out. He wasted a good start. 34 runs is not going to be enough,” he added.
Gill scored 207 runs in his last 12 innings, with an average of 18.81 in India’s red-ball cricket and a best score of 36. The young batter moved to the No. 3 position during the West Indies tour last year. Overall, he has scored 1097 runs in 22 Tests at an average of 29.65.
Shreyas Iyer Also Gave A Disappointing Performance – Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra criticized Shreyas Iyer’s footwork, especially against James Anderson. The cricketer-turned-commentator noted that Iyer appeared to be struggling despite not facing express pace.
“Shreyas Iyer also gave a disappointing performance. The way he was moving around wasn’t giving much confidence. You generally don’t move around like that against a fast bowler in Test cricket,” Chopra further stated.
“He was moving a lot even though there wasn’t much pace in the short balls and eventually he got out. You can say the ball stayed a little low and that he was slightly unlucky, but he was not stable on the crease,” he concluded.
Iyer’s Test performance has declined recently, managing only 158 runs in his last seven Tests with a disappointing average of 15.80 and a best score of 35. Overall, he has amassed 782 runs in 14 Tests at an average of 37.24, featuring one century and five fifties.
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