Time perfect to give Shubman Gill his place at the top
Rahul not to continue as vice-captain leaves the door ajar but amidst Gill’s splendid run of form, it seems unjust he has had to sit out in the first two Tests against Australia
“For us, as team management, we always look at the potential of any individual. If guys have potential, they will get that extended run.” This was India captain Rohit Sharma offering a staunch defence of an out-of-form KL Rahul after the conclusion of the second Test on Sunday.
By that rationale though, is anybody in Indian cricket brimming with more potential at the moment than Shubman Gill?
The answer is a categorical ‘no’ given that the 23-year-old opening batter from Punjab has been igniting the stage of late. He notched up his maiden Test century in the series against Bangladesh in December. In limited-overs cricket, he’s undeniably been India’s most in-form batter since the start of this year. He has three centuries in his last four ODI innings, including a double ton against New Zealand in Hyderabad that made him the youngest to the landmark. His last T20I innings was an unbeaten 126 off 63 deliveries, comprising 12 fours and seven sixes.
Amidst this run of form, it seems rather unjust to Gill that he has played no part in the Test series against Australia so far. Though white-ball form shouldn’t be a basis for selection in the longer format, Gill’s case is irresistible. It is probably why Rahul has been stripped of the vice-captaincy for the final two Tests, opening the door perhaps for Gill to finally get a look-in. “We were firm that Rahul needs to be in the squad whether or not he is picked for the Indore Test. He is also a key part of the one-day side. We don't want Rahul’s confidence to be affected by dropping him from the squad altogether,” a member of the team management said.
Gill has always been primed for all-format stardom, and the time seems right for him to be given an opportunity to establish his credentials in the five-day version. Not that Gill hasn’t already left a mark in the 13 Tests that he has played. It shouldn’t be lost amid Rishabh Pant’s belligerent brilliance at the Gabba in Brisbane that the platform for one of India’s greatest Test victories was laid by Gill’s 91 on the final day. Playing just his third Test, the youngster pulled and hooked Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins without any of the inhibition expected of a fresh-faced opener.
Yes, Gill perhaps hasn’t kicked on in his Test career as expected since that Gabba feat – he has 736 runs in 13 Tests at an average of 32 – but the incumbent he’s battling against has an average of 33.44 after 47 Tests and 81 innings. During the training sessions at the Ferozeshah Kotla nets in the lead-up to the second Test, Gill certainly looked in prime touch, timing almost everything from the sweet spot of his bat. The contrast with Rahul in the adjacent net couldn’t have been starker.
If Rahul still enjoys the faith of his captain and coach, it is because he looks the part when he is scoring runs, blessed as he is with that extra nanosecond against fast bowling. The same holds true for Gill too. He carries an air of nonchalance at the crease, seldom rushed or hurried while going for his shots. It is a gift that all great players possess, which in turn enables them to get slightly more time than ordinary folk.
While the policy to back a player is well and good – a significant advancement on the chopping and changing that has hindered Indian cricket in the past – potential has to eventually translate into performance.
Rahul’s centuries at Lord’s and Centurion in 2021, brought up by both Rohit and Dravid in their defence of the 30-year-old, underlined his ability to negotiate hostile bowling in challenging conditions. His judgment outside the off-stump was impeccable, spending nearly seven hours at the crease in each instance and exercising self-restraint as he had seldom done before. But it’s also worth noting that he has reached fifty once in 12 innings since that monumental ton in South Africa.
Gill, too, may have a few minor chinks to address. In the past, he hasn’t been all that assured against the incoming delivery, allowing the likes of James Anderson, Kyle Jamieson and Kagiso Rabada to sneak the ball through the gap between bat and pad and uproot his stumps. But given the improvement he has made in other aspects of his game — for instance, his T20I strike rate of 165.57 is a reflection of the amends that he’s made for an overall IPL strike rate of 125.25 — his problem against the incoming ball may also be a thing of the past.
We will know that for certain only when Gill gets a decent crack at the Test level. Just like Rahul has been given one so far.