IND vs NZ 2021: His Legs Stay In The Same Spot - Irfan Pathan Says Shubman Gill Needs To Work On His Technique

Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan pointed out a major flaw in the opener, Shubman Gill’s technique which could prove to be his undoing in the long run.

On Saturday, Gill had to negotiate a few overs late in the evening on Day 3 but he fell to an incoming delivery from Kyle Jamieson. There was a big gap between his bat and pad and this is unacceptable in Tests at the highest level.

“It is not easy at all. The lights are on, the ball moves and you know that you have to go back not out. Opening batsmen usually get out because of the pressure to go back not out. But Shubman Gill will have to definitely work on his technique.”

“His hands come in a roundabout fashion, especially against pitched-up deliveries. If he works on that, he has a lot of ability. Here both his feet remained at the same spot and till the time the bat came down, it was very late,” Pathan said.

“His true color will be seen when he bats in the middle-order” – Aakash Chopra on Shubman Gill

Since KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma have cemented their place at the top of the order, Gill will have to adjust in the middle-order. Although it isn’t a guaranteed spot since Shreyas Iyer scored a century on debut, if he does bat, his true colors will be revealed, as per Aakash Chopra.

“Whenever I see him play, he doesn’t look like a Test opener to me. The way he plays inside the line, the outside edge and inside edge are both exposed.”

“In my opinion, he is a middle-order batter, he has been made to open. He has done well as an opener but his true color and form will be seen when he bats in the middle order,” Chopra mentioned.

India had a lead of 63 at the end of Day 3, with Cheteshwar Pujara and Mayank Agarwal at the crease.

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