Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav need to score, and do so immediately
Fifteen matches at an average of 23, and the pressure is indeed mounting on Gill. Surya is in the same boat. India’s captain and vice-captain need runs and without any further delay. With the World Cup round the corner, clouds suddenly hang over two premier batters. If two of the top three don’t score consistently, how can things be right heading into the biggest tournament of all? With Jaiswal and Samson waiting in the wings, the murmurs will only grow louder if things don’t change in Dharamshala.
Sport is always about performance. That’s the only index. Talent means nothing without runs on the board, and while there is no doubting Gill’s ability, the numbers must improve, that’s the grim reality. Talent will give him a long rope, as it already has, but he must now justify his place with big scores. If that does not happen, questions will be asked, and rightly so. In sport, things can go south very quickly, and for Gill, who looks good in the nets, it’s time to translate that into runs in the middle.
The same applies to Surya. It has been a while since India’s skipper has played a blinder, and unless he does so soon, scrutiny will only intensify. In fact, it already has.
Let’s look at their dismissals in Chandigarh. Both were very Test-match-like. Ngidi got the ball to straighten at the last moment, and Gill edged the outswinger to slip. He wasn’t in control of the shot, resulting in a golden duck for the vice-captain. Surya, after one good stroke, pushed at a ball that was leaving him and got the faintest edge, confirmed by Snicko. South Africa reviewed, and the third umpire declared it out.
So what does India do now? Not many games remain before the World Cup, which makes the calls trickier. Do they persist with Gill and back him to find form? Do they try Jaiswal? Do they play Samson at the top, push Gill to three and SKY to four, and leave Dube out? Dube hasn’t contributed much with the bat, and a decision needs to be made urgently. By moving Gill to three, India could reunite Samson with Abhishek Sharma, a combination that won India many matches just a year ago.
Nothing will be done in haste, nor should it be. These are players of pedigree, and unless convinced that change is required, Gambhir and his team won’t rush into anything. But the question remains: how much is too much? How long do you wait for the runs to come? How many more games? India must go into the World Cup with a side capable of defending the title, and they simply cannot afford to get this wrong. Important matches lie ahead.
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