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'Do the same thing with Gill that you did with me': Pietersen animatedly tells Dravid after India star fails yet again
Kevin Pietersen spoke in detail about Shubman Gill's failure in the first innings of the opening Test against England.
For Team India's star opener, Shubman Gill, life in Test cricket has been anything but easy. Despite showcasing sublime performances in white-ball formats, his outings in Test cricket have been far from convincing. Heading into the Test series against England, Gill carried an average of 32, falling short of the expectations for a top-order Indian batter.
In the first innings of the Test, Gill found himself in a favourable position as Yashasvi Jaiswal set a strong foundation for the Indian innings with an aggressive approach against the English bowlers. This allowed Gill to settle at the crease, taking his time to gauge the conditions. However, after Jaiswal's departure, Gill seemed to retreat into a defensive shell, opting to block deliveries that he would typically look to convert into singles and doubles.
Also read How Ben Stokes could've prevented Yashasvi's 'Jazball' on Day 1 as unusual absence hands India opener runs on a platter
As the pressure mounted on Gill to contribute runs, he attempted an aggressive shot against debutant Tom Hartley in a bid to clear the ball for a boundary. Unfortunately, the shot was caught at midwicket by Ben Duckett, resulting in Gill's dismissal for a modest 23 off 66 deliveries.
Former England batter Kevin Pietersen expressed visible concern over Gill's approach, emphasizing the importance of rotating the strike in Test cricket. While acknowledging Gill's batting prowess, Pietersen insisted that the young batter must diversify his skills to avoid such dismissals from becoming a regular occurrence. Drawing from his own experience with Rahul Dravid, Pietersen provided insights for the team management to consider in Gill's development.
“He has somebody in the dressing room who changed my game: Rahul Dravid. I don't know if he will watch this broadcast, but go and spend time with Gill and do the same stuff he talked to me about. Get him to hit the ball on the off-side, practice picking the lengths better, and rotation of the strike. Do things that will help him become a better player,” Pietersen said during the Lunch show on JioCinema.
“He's a quality player in Shubman Gill, and no, I'm not disappointed in how he got out. I'm disappointed that he has not got that ability yet (to rotate strike). But then, he's a kid. Give him that ability; give him that structure. If he rotates the strike and learns that from Rahul Dravid, and if the latter takes him under his wings, the world is his,” said Pietersen further.
With only one century in home conditions and two overall, there would be a significant focus on Shubman Gill in this Test series as he aims to navigate a challenging initial phase in Test cricket.
