While the focus for now will be on the over-50 format, the team management would be wary of his lackluster run after playing many games in his preferred position.
Shubman Gill’s Test career has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride as he has seen it all quickly. He began his tenure as an opener and found initial success before a run of poor performances forced him to ask for the number 3 spot.
At No. 3, he failed to find instant rewards but slowly seemed to adapt to this new role after a decent season at home in 2024. However, Gill was unable to replicate the same in Australia where he could only manage 93 runs. in five outings with a terrible average of 18.60, with the best of 31.
Taking to Cricbuzz, Dinesh Karthik has called out his lackluster performances in the longer format. While he has had some outings, Gill has not fared well on spinning platforms or jumping tracks.
“With Shubman Gill, his returns have been declining. If you look at his testing history, he’s been played in several places (1st and 3rd), he’s had his fair share of opportunities, but even he knows he hasn’t been great in a long time. When India played on difficult pitches where they spin, they had their problems (and) when India played on pitches that definitely help fast bowlers, they didn’t get going. “He showed good form when England came early last year, got a couple of hundreds and looked good, but after that again, the returns haven’t been as good as you would like them to be from a No. 3 batsman.”
What’s next for Shubman Gill in Test cricket?
While the focus for now will be on the over-50 format, the team management would be wary of his lackluster run after playing many games in his preferred position. Shubman Gill’s obvious problems with the moving ball will make him vulnerable in India’s next Test in England, where they will play as many as five matches.
India have already seen the downsides of a failed No. 3 in Australia and need someone with solid technique who can counter movement and develop long innings. The temptation to stick with Gill despite lackluster performances is understandable, given his superior skills and improvements last season.
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Last time he performed very well in the home season and with his encouraging record in Australia, the team hoped he would continue his good run. Still, they could take him to England and let him bat at No. 3, where he has played many innings.
If India wants to try a new player, they should first try him in home matches; With no home series pending, Gill remains the only solution. A big experiment on an overseas tour can backfire, so the ideal will be to work on technical adjustments with Gill and let him bat at No. 3; If it still fails, they can look for alternatives.
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