"He has understood that he has visible problems" - Aakash Chopra lauds Shubman Gill's knock on Day 3 of 3rd IND vs ENG Test
Aakash Chopra has lauded Shubman Gill for being aware of his shortcomings and making the most of his opportunities.
Gill scored an unbeaten 65 off 120 as India reached 196-2 in their second innings of the third Test against England in Rajkot on Saturday, February 17. The hosts bundled Ben Stokes and Co. out for 319 in their first essay earlier in the day and have a lead of 322 heading into the fourth day.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra picked Gill as one of the star performers on Day 3 (6:25):
"Shubman Gill will be criticised a little because big performances are required from batters in the first innings. However, that doesn't mean that second-innings runs are not important."
"He has understood that he has visible problems. However, when he feels there are more chances of the game going in his favor, he is not going to give up. He felt that the pitch had become slow and the bowlers weren't that sharp, so he could grab that opportunity," the former India opener added.
Chopra noted that Gill didn't show any ego while playing second-fiddle to Yashasvi Jaiswal. He added that the Punjab batter's understanding of the game is similar to stalwarts like Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.
"Indian cricket's future and present" - Aakash Chopra on Yashasvi Jaiswal
Aakash Chopra noted Yashasvi Jaiswal as another fabulous performer, observing that he batted extremely aggressively after starting slowly (4:35):
"Yashasvi Jaiswal - Indian cricket's future and present, how well he plays.
"He gave the first 70 balls to the bowlers. He was just defending. It seemed at one stage that he was too defensive and that he might play a bad shot if he went into a shell. However, after that, he kept hitting amazingly."
The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that Jaiswal is not yet dismissed and could convert his century into an even more substantial effort.
"He reached a hundred and batted destructively. He has hit his third century and is playing just his seventh Test. He is not yet out. He is retired hurt, had a problem with his back, but he can come to bat anytime tomorrow," Chopra stated.
Jaiswal struck nine fours and five sixes during his innings. He added 155 runs with Shubman Gill for the second wicket before retiring hurt due to back issues.