"Generational fraud"- Fans fume in frustration as Shubman Gill wastes another chance and fails yet again in 1st IND vs ENG Test in Hyderabad
Team India batter Shubman Gill faced the wrath of fans after his twin batting failures in the first Test against England in Hyderabad. It hampered India's chances as the visitors registered a memorable 28-run victory on Sunday (January 28) to go 1-0 up in the five-match series.
After indifferent performances as an opener, Shubman Gill received a chance at the No. 3 position in Test cricket since the West Indies tour last year. This came after the selectors sidelined veteran Cheteshwar Pujara. Gill has played more than 10 innings at that position so far and is yet to make a substantial contribution.
Even in the first Test against England, Gill got out for 23 (66) in the first innings and failed to convert his start. He went into a shell and played defensively during his time at the crease before eventually perishing while trying to hit his way out of the slump.
In the second innings, Shubman Gill got out for a two-ball duck when India were chasing a tricky target of 231. He had a great chance in both innings to play a significant knock to set a platform for India's win. However, he looked uncomfortable against spin, which is a huge concern for India moving forward.
Fans were left frustrated after witnessing Gill's repeated failures in Test cricket. They pointed out that many deserving players are waiting on the sidelines, like Sarfaraz Khan and Rajat Patidar, who proved themselves in domestic cricket.
A few fans roasted Shubman Gill for his poor performances and demanded the team management to drop him for the next Test through their posts on X.
Here are some of the top reactions:
"The lower order showed the top-order that you need to show character and fight"- India captain Rohit Sharma
At the post-match presentation after the defeat against England, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma lauded lower-order batters for putting in a fight. He added that they showed the path for the top order, saying:
"The lower order showed the top-order that you need to show character and fight. We didn't take our chance with the bat and I hope the guys will learn from that."
Reflecting on the loss, he added:
"Cricket has been played over four days and it's hard to pinpoint where it went wrong. Exceptional batting by Pope and I just witnessed one of the best knocks from the overseas batter.
"I thought 231 was chasable but couldn't apply ourselves with the bat. We analysed what went wrong and I thought the bowlers executed the plans well but you have to give credit to Pope as it was a great knock. We were much in the game after the first innings.
Do you think India needs to make changes to their batting department for the second Test? Let us know your opinions in the comments section.