KL Rahul supported colleague Shubman Gill, who has struggled as India’s No.3 batsman in Test cricket. On the second day of the current Hyderabad Test against England on Friday, the 24-year-old was removed for 23 from 66 balls.
Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen stated on television that Gill was just creating pressure on himself by blocking the majority of the deliveries and failing to rotate strike. However, Rahul believed that the kid had come out to bat late on Day 1 and that the scenario required him to play for stumps.
Speaking to Kevin Pietersen on Jio Cinema following the conclusion of play on Day 2, KL Rahul explained why he believed the dismissal was simply a learning curve that will benefit Shubman Gill. He said:
“He (Gill) is a top-class cricketer. He does play spin really, really well. We’ve seen that in white-ball cricket. It’s about time that, he learnt from it.”
KL Rahul
KL Rahul added:
“I mean, you know, I’m sure he didn’t want to get himself into a situation where he had to go over the top or had to had to play a shot just to break free. But yeah, that happens to all batters. And I’m sure he’s already there thinking about what he’ll do in the next one.”
KL Rahul
KL Rahul had a solid session with the bat, scoring an important 86 to help India overcome England’s first-innings total. The hosts concluded Day 2 on 421/7, with a 175-run advantage.
Sunil Gavaskar unhappy with Shubman Gill’s dismissal
Sunil Gavaskar, a former Indian famous opener, was on air on Day 2 when Shubman Gill chipped one straight to Ben Duckett at short midwicket. Gavaskar expressed disappointment with the right-hander’s stroke selection, saying:
“He (Gill) has done all the hard work, Shubman Gill and then you see a shot like that. Very, very disappointing. What kind of a shot was he look to play? One can understand if he was looking to play it in the air.”
Sunil Gavaskar
With each setback, the pressure on Gill to establish himself at No.3 grows significantly. In nine Test innings in that position, the right-hander has only scored 189 runs at an average of 23.62.