‘If your scores are like this and you bat at No. 3 for India…’: Shubman Gill’s scary stat pointed out by ex-opener

Shubman Gill registered another low score in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a flop show in the first innings of the Brisbane Test. The talented young batter was dismissed for just 1 by Mitchell Starc in the third over of the innings. Shubman got out while playing a booming drive on a ball which was way outside off-stump. He faced the wrath of fans and critics for his poor shot selection during a crucial juncture of the game.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra pointed out Shubman’s underwhelming numbers outside Asia in Tests, which is a concerning sign for the Indian team.

“We will have to talk about Shubman Gill. It’s been 16 innings where you haven’t crossed 40 outside Asia. You have been dismissed for single digits or early double digits many times. If your scores are like this and you bat at No. 3 for Team India in Test cricket, it’s a problem, and it will be discussed as well,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

Shubman played a crucial role in India’s historic Gabba win in 2020-21 tour with a 91-run knock, however, since then, he has failed to score a half-century outside Asia in Tests. In the eight Tests during this period, he has scored just 200 runs with a highest score of 36.

‘It’s a symptomatic problem of the entire playing style’

Chopra asserted that Shubman looked in good touch during the Adelaide Test and said that it might be a symptomatic problem, considering the other dismissals on Day 3 of thethird Test.

“He was looking good in the last match. The problem is not with Gill alone. It’s a symptomatic problem of the entire playing style. Yashasvi Jaiswal drove the first ball hard. He might be unlucky that his shot found a fielder on the second ball, but the first ball could have also gone to gully’s hand,” he observed.

The former cricketer turned commentator stated that Shubman has a tendency to play the booming drive but it comes with a high risk of getting caught which was the case on Monday.

“Shubman Gill came and played a booming drive. When it comes off, it looks good, but there are great chances of it going behind the wickets. You are so used to throwing your hands that you don’t wish to stop,” he elaborated.