"Short mid-wicket is Virat Kohli’s position" - Ravichandran Ashwin on Shubman Gill's improvement as a fielder
Team India's Ravichandran Ashwin recently lauded Shubman Gill for his constant improvement as a fielder during the recently concluded five-match home Test series against England.
Ashwin mentioned that Gill stood at short mid-wicket, a challenging fielding position. He pointed out how the likes of Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina have done an exceptional job at short mid-wicket in the past.
The veteran spinner suggested that while Gill initially struggled at Kohli's field position, he improved significantly as the series progressed. In his latest YouTube video, Ashwin said:
"Short mid-wicket is Virat Kohli’s position. It is very difficult to replace him. Virat and (Suresh) Raina. (Shubman) Gill started off there in the first test, and he looked very uncomfortable. By the final Test, he got it (like Vijay says to Sivakarthikeyan). He also took a catch of (Ben) Duckett on covers. It shows that he wants to improve his game on a day-to-day basis, and he’s working on it."
Ashwin also reserved high praise for Gill's batting exploits in the series. Highlighting the kind of pressure that the top-order batter dealt with, Ashwin added:
"I give extra praise to Shubman Gill because he has seen the ups and downs of the game. People discussed his position in the XI. He had a few technical issues of his own. He came past all that to become what he is today, like how gold is molten from flames and water. And for somebody who is bound to be the next superstar of Indian cricket, as people project, this is a very important journey for him. He has handled the pressure, and massive applause is for him."
Gill was the second-highest run-getter in the Test series, chalking up 452 runs across nine innings at an average of 56.5. The talented youngsters finished with two centuries and as many fifties.
"Devdutt Padikkal had become an outstanding player over 8–10 months" - Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin also spoke about how his former Rajasthan Royals (RR) teammate Devdutt Padikkal impressed many in his debut Test against England.
The southpaw made it to India's playing XI for the final Test in Dharamsala, replacing Rajat Patidar. He showcased exemplary composure in his first-ever appearance and mustered 65 runs.
Talking about how Padikkal has shown tremendous improvement in recent months, Ashwin added:
"Devdutt Padikkal had become an outstanding player over 8–10 months. I don’t know how to express it. I’ve seen him in the Rajasthan Royals for two years. But you never know when a player gets that sudden spurt between the ages of 20 and 25. I can tell that Devdutt Padikkal has gotten that spurt suddenly over the past 8 months. I’m seeing the way he is playing first-class cricket, the way he deals with everything, the maturity."
India beat England by an innings and 64 runs at Dharamsala to complete a 4-1 Test series victory.