"Don't think you can underestimate any international side" - Shubman Gill on the challenging of facing Bangladesh
Team India batter Shubman Gill reckons that the two-match Test series against Bangladesh will be an interesting and intriguing contest. The right-hander went on to term Bangladesh's performance in the last couple of months as impressive.
India are all set to take on Bangladesh in a two-match Test series at home. The first Test will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai from September 19 to September 23, while the second match will be held at Green Park in Kanpur from September 27 to October 1.
While India will begin the series as favorites, Bangladesh would be on a high, having registered a historic 2-0 triumph in the Test series in Pakistan. Speaking to JioCinema, Gill admitted that Bangladesh would be no pushovers in the Test series. He said (as quoted by ndtv.com):
"I don't think you can underestimate any international side. The kind of cricket Bangladesh has played in the last couple of months, especially in Pakistan, has been impressive. Their fast bowlers and the way their middle-order batters have absorbed pressure shouldn't be disregarded. So, I believe it will be an interesting and intriguing contest."
The 25-year-old recently captained India A against India B in the first round of the 2024 Duleep Trophy. The right-handed batter had a disappointing match, registering scores of 25 and 21 as India A went down by 76 runs.
"That was a big confidence boost for me" - Gill on Test success against England
Gill has had a mixed start to his Test career and has often been guilty of throwing away good starts. However, batting at No. 3, he did a good job in the home series against England earlier this year. The talented cricketer scored 452 runs in nine innings at an average of 56.50. Reflecting on the learnings from the series, which India won 4-1, he asserted:
"That was a big confidence boost for me, especially after losing the first Test match. Quite a few players were unavailable, so there was pressure on us to win the series.
"I had never played five Test matches before, so it was a good experience and exciting to feel that intensity. Even after getting breaks following two Test matches, we never dropped that intensity," Gill added.
Having made his Test debut in December 2020, the young batter has featured in 25 matches and has scored 1492 runs at an average of 35.52, with four hundreds and six fifties to his name.