IND vs AUS 2020: BCCI share video of Shubman Gill batting in the nets amidst opening position debate [WATCH]
Indian batsman Shubman Gill has wasted no time in getting up to speed after the team touched down in Melbourne on Tuesday. The young opener was seen practising in the nets on Wednesday morning, with the BCCI sharing a video of the same.
The Indian cricket team is set to play the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne from December 26, with the team’s opening combination still in doubt. After Prithvi Shaw’s disastrous outing at Adelaide, many have backed the young Shubman Gill to make his Test debut for India in the second Test.
Shubman Gill begins training ahead of Melbourne Test
The BCCI took to social media to share a video of Shubman Gill batting in the nets. In the video, the youngster is seen timing the balls to perfection, as he begins by playing a couple of straight drives.
Shubman Gill is then seen judging the line and length perfectly, as he ducks out of a short-pitched delivery. Shubman Gill seemed to be in great groove throughout the 29-second-long video, as he played his strokes confidently. Sharing the video, the BCCI called Shubman Gill’s batting ‘Nice and clean’.
How did Shubman Gill perform in the practice matches?
The young opener had a solid outing during the 2 practice matches against Australia A. After getting out for a duck off the first ball, Shubman Gill scored 29 off 24 balls in the second innings of the first practice match.
Batting at No.3 in the second practice match, Shubman Gill fared much better, scoring 43 off 58 deliveries. The youngster then notched up a half-century in the second innings, playing a solid knock as he ended up scoring 65 off 78 balls.
After Shubman Gill performed better and scored more runs than Prithvi Shaw in the practice matches, many backed the youngster to open for the Indian cricket team at Adelaide. However, Prithvi Shaw ended up getting the nod for that game, with the opener scoring just 4 runs in total in the 1st Test.
With Prithvi Shaw’s technique called into question, Shubman Gill may get his chance in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne. The batsman is yet to make his Test debut for India but has proven himself at the first-class level.
The 21-year-old has a batting average of 68.78 in first-class cricket, and Shubman Gill will have to take his chances with both hands if he does get picked for the second Test. With the Indian cricket team’s opening combination in limbo, Shubman Gill has a great chance to cement his place in the side if he manages to do well against Australia.