“His game is of white-ball cricket and flat wickets” - Mohammad Kaif makes huge statement on young Indian batter
Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has stated that while Shubman Gill is a talented batter, his game is suited to white ball cricket on flat tracks. He urged the youngster to work on his footwork and improve his skills in the red ball format.
24-year-old Gill has a fantastic record in one-day cricket. In 44 matches, he has smashed 2,271 runs at an average of 61.37 and a strike rate of 103.46, with six hundreds and 13 fifties. However, he averages only 29.52 from 21 Test matches.
In an interview with Timesofindia.com, Kaif shared his views on Gill’s struggles in red ball cricket.
“Shubman Gill is a very talented batsman, no doubt about that, but his game is of white-ball cricket and flat wickets which we get in limited overs internationals. But in Test cricket, you won’t get flat wickets, the ball will bounce, the ball will turn, so Gill has to work on his footwork and I am sure that he will make the necessary adjustments and will score runs again,” the former Indian cricketer said.
Speaking about India’s batting performance against England in the first Test in Hyderabad, Kaif pointed out that the set batters did not convert fifties into hundreds.
“Most of the Indian batsmen got off to good starts in the first innings but for the temperament of Test cricket, you have to stay at the wicket and play according to the situation. I am sure head coach Rahul Dravid would have spoken to them about that,” the 43-year-old stated.
Three Team India batters, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja, got into the 80s in the first innings, but none of them went on to score a hundred.
During the interaction, Kaif also opined that Indian batsmen’s ability to play spin has reduced considerably. Referring to debutant Tom Hartley's seven-fer in the second innings, he pointed out that the youngster learned from Indian spinners and proved to be the biggest factor in England’s 28-run triumph.
Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer’s worrying Test numbers
As mentioned earlier, Gill does not possess a great record in Test cricket. Since his last hundred in the format, against Australia in Ahmedabad in March 2023, he has registered a highest score of 36 from 11 innings.
He registered scores of 13 and 18 in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia and struggled during the tours of West Indies and South Africa as well.
Like Gill, Shreyas Iyer’s Test performances are also a cause for concern. In his last 10 Test innings, the middle-order batter has registered a highest score of 35. His technique came under the scanner during the tour of South Africa, where he struggled to make an impact.