IND V AUS 2020: Shubman Gill impresses former Indian batsman with his well made 65 against Australia A
Former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer lavished praise on Shubman Gill, who impressed with his batting in the 2nd innings of the second warm-up encounter against Australia A. Gill went on to score a high quality 65 laced with ten boundaries.
Some of the backfoot punches and drives from Shubman Gill looked pleasing on the eye, and Wasim Jaffer seemed impressed with the 21-year-old's technical prowess. He praised Shubman Gill's ability to stand tall and get on top of the bounce.
Shubman Gill walked in at no.3 after the early dismissal of Prithvi Shaw (3). He stitched a valuable partnership of 104 runs with Mayank Agarwal and stretched India A's second innings lead to over 150 runs.
Will we see Shubman Gill in the 1st Test against Australia?
Shubman Gill is competing with Prithvi Shaw for a place in the playing XI for the first Test against Australia, starting on December 17. Shaw failed to make a mark in the second innings, being dismissed for 3, but he did score a quickfire 40 in the first innings.
Shubman Gill's 65 came when batting was challenging in the second warm-up tie with both teams being dismissed for under 200 runs in their first innings. Gill impressed on the first day as well, accumulating 43 runs in the process.
To succeed in Australian conditions, a batsman needs to get on top of the bounce and be at ease while cutting and pulling. Shubman Gill seems to have the ability to do just that, and he is certainly making a strong case for himself heading into the first Test.
KL Rahul is also a contender to open the innings. But his non-participation in the two warm-up ties indicates that the selection for the opening slot is likely to be a toss-up between Shubman Gill and Prithvi Shaw.