Agnijit Sen in Sydney
‘Shubman Gill will be the next Indian superstar!’- We all said in unison when Gill played that knock on the last day of the Gabba Test in 2021. The way he hooked Mitchell Starc, and took on the likes of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, he was hailed by many as the next big thing in Indian cricket. After that knock, it has been a smooth ride for Gill. A regular in India’s red-ball side, he has shown his class across formats. IPL orange-cap holder, Gujarat Titans captain, hogging the limelight in TV commercials, and a potential captain of the national side – Gill’s rise has been a meteoric one.
Just before the series decider in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Ravi Shastri, India’s former coach, looked amused. “How can you leave out somebody with a 40-plus average [actually 35.76] in Tests?” he asked. “He is one of your best red ball batters.”
Agreed, hands down. Shastri probably forgot to mention one key stat – most of those runs, along with that average, have come on Indian pitches. On home soil, in familiar conditions. But for many, an Indian batsman’s legacy is judged by the way he performs overseas, particularly in the SENA countries. Take the Indian greats, for example. Every one of them. Right from Sunil Gavaskar to Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid to Virat Kohli, VVS Laxman to Cheteshwar Pujara – all of them.
Now, let’s take a microscopic look at Shubman Gill. In England, he has played three matches and six innings, scoring 88 runs at an abysmal average of 14.22. In South Africa, he has played just four innings, scoring 74 runs at an average of 18.50. In Australia, his numbers are slightly better – 319 runs at an average of 39.87. Do not forget the fact that 91 of them came in that famous second innings in Brisbane.
Some may argue, with a degree of justification, that the sample size is too small. However, there’s more to these numbers. In quite a few of these innings, Gill got good starts. He has looked elegant and fluent before he eventually threw it away. In the third Test of the ongoing series, when Gill walked in at No. 3, India needed runs after the early dismissal of their in-form opener, Yashasvi Jaiswal. Instead, Gill decided to chase a seventh-stump ball and was caught in the slips. And this has been Gill’s story in a nutshell.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma repeatedly stressed in his press conferences on this tour that getting set on these wickets and against this bowling attack can be a daunting task. But here’s the thing. If you are set, you have to make good use of it. You cannot throw away starts, as simple as that. And Gill has done that time and again. So much so that it is a pattern now. He has to take responsibility, especially coming in at No. 3 in red-ball cricket in overseas conditions. And he has played at this position for quite some time now.
Playing away from home can be challenging. Gill knows it. He also knows he has the technique and the shots to succeed on the biggest stage. But after today, eyebrows must be raised. Hard questions must be asked. You have survived the first session on a grassy wicket in Sydney, you have played 64 balls, and it is the last over before lunch. Why on Earth would you step out to Nathan Lyon and hand a dolly to Steve Smith at slip? Have you heard of common sense not being so common?
Rest assured, Gautam Gambhir will take a close, hard look at him. And words might be exchanged. Gambhir is well known for his sharp tongue no-nonsense attitude. Gill might just get a taste of those.
But much like life, Test matches offer a second chance. Gill will get another chance to bat in this match. And he needs to realise that this is a chance. Not a permanent position. The India captain has been made to ‘rest/opt out’ before the series decider in Australia. Gill knows he is only a small fish in comparison. The consequences of another failure could be dire.