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Shubman Gill had a series to forget in Australia as he managed just 93 runs from five innings.
Shubman Gill will have to go back to the drawing board. (Image Credit: AFP)
India’s 1-3 Test series defeat in Australia has thrown open a can of worms. In the space of a few months, cracks have started to appear which seemed non-existent before. If a 0-3 clean sweep at the hands of New Zealand last year at home served as a reality check, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy that concluded recently gave them a clear message that the team must introspect deeply and possibly, make a few tough calls to move along, if not ahead, with the times.
It appears logical that the senior players should face the brunt of criticism but the next generation of stars who are being groomed as their replacements in the long run must face scrutiny.
Among the young crop of India stars, there were plenty of expectations from Shubman Gill in Australia – a country where he made his Test debut and left an instant impact in 2020. The latest outing Down Under was to be the moment when he officially takes over the mantle and become the lynchpin of this star-studded Indian batting lineup.
However, in the three Tests that Gill played in Australia during BGT 2024-25, he could muster 93 runs from five innings at an average of 18.60. These numbers don’t do justice to his potential.
And former India cricketer Subramaniam Badrinath has some strong views on Gill’s performances, indicating biasness towards players hailing from South India.
“If Shubman Gill was named perhaps, let’s take my father’s name, as Subramaniam, then he would have been dropped. This is difficult for me to watch again (Gill’s wicket) because he really has not lived up to his expectations,” Badrinath said on Star Sports Tamil.
Badrinath said while he’s not criticising Gill for getting out but it’s the lack of intent that’s concerning.
“There’s nothing wrong with losing your wicket — you can get runs or you can’t sometimes — but there should be some intent, there should be some attitude,” Badrinath said. “I want you to play to tire the bowlers, I want you to make the ball old. If nothing else, at least help out your teammate who’s coming in after you to bat but standing at the crease with him, even if you can’t score runs. Play 50 balls, 100 balls, just make sure the ball gets worn out and old. These are the contributions you make for a team.”
“That is exactly what Marnus Labuschagne did for Australia. Even (Nathan) McSweeney, in the two Tests he played, he did the same. These guys always tried to tire the bowlers out, and perhaps it was the fatigue that caught up to (Jasprit) Bumrah, eventually getting him injured.
“You can’t go in and say ‘This is my game, this I how I play, this is how I bat’ and just play aesthetically pleasing cricket but not produce (runs). That’s not cricket. It’s about knowing whatever you can do and trying to do that in the moment. I just did not see any of that in Shubman Gill through the series this time,” he added.
Badrinath questioned Gill’s contribution to the team slamming his fielding too.
“He (Gill) was poor even on the field, as someone who can’t stand at slips or point, nor is he exceptional at silly point as well. So, what does he contribute to the team? This is the question that keeps running in my mind about Gill,” he said.
