Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan pointed out that opener, Shubman Gill, can turn out to be quite an asset to the Test team whenever they tour abroad.
Gill scored a well-crafted 52 in the first innings of the first Test against New Zealand before being knocked over by the best bowler on the day, Kyle Jamieson. After that, however, he looked quite comfortable at the crease and built a crucial 61-run second-wicket partnership with Cheteshwar Pujara to steady the ship after Mayank Agarwal fell early.
“I really hope and feel that this guy will go on to have a really good career, especially in Test cricket, because I think he can be very vital, especially if we keep touring abroad. He has got outstanding backfoot game with his initial movement,” Pathan said on Star Sports while talking about Gill.
“I’m very impressed with the way Shubman Gill is playing against spinners” – Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan also mentioned that it was an extremely impressive performance from Gill against the spinners, especially with a slight amount of purchase on offer for the slower deliveries.
“He is a young guy, and he is very talented when it comes to batting. He is trying to figure how to actually correct whatever little technical flaw he has, especially against the fuller delivery.
“He is coming down the pitch against the fast bowlers, and I’m really impressed with the way he is playing against the spinners. He is playing the ball late,” Pathan added.
At Tea, India was 154/4 with debutant Shubman Gill and Ravindra Jadeja at the crease.