How Shubman Gill can modify his Test game with ball-by-ball replay of Ollie Pope's 196 in 1st Test

Shubman Gill has been under tremendous scanner over the past few months over his declining red-ball form.

The pressure is mounting on Team India's star youngster, Shubman Gill, to retain his place in the Indian Test team. After a series of failures in the South Africa Test series earlier this month, Gill failed to revive his fortunes in the first Test against England in Hyderabad, scoring 21 and 0 across two innings.

India's Shubman Gill reacts as he walks back to the pavilion after losing his wicket to England's Tom Hartley on the fourth day of the first cricket test match between England and India in Hyderabad (AP)

Although Shubman Gill has expressed his desire to occupy the number three spot in the batting lineup, he has encountered difficulties in carrying over his achievements from white-ball cricket to the conventional format, especially since taking over the position previously held by the experienced Cheteshwar Pujara. Gill's challenges against spin bowling have become increasingly evident, particularly during his struggles in subcontinental conditions.

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar, in his assessment of the first Test defeat in Hyderabad, made a note of how Ollie Pope batted in the second innings that could serve as a benchmark for Gill. Pope played a counter-attacking knock against a high-quality Indian spin attack, scoring a brilliant 196.

There was a significant contrast in Pope's batting approach between the first and second innings, particularly in his utilization of the front foot. Initially, Pope displayed a purposeful effort to seek scoring opportunities, actively rotating the strike. This strategic adjustment allowed him to maintain aggression while effectively accumulating runs. Manjrekar explained the difference in detail in his assessment, and advised Gill to follow a similar template.

“There was one very important difference in the way he (Pope) played in the first as opposed to the second. He still trusted his front foot game, but if you look at the first few balls that he faced, he got onto the front foot, but it was a very purposeful reaction and effort where he was looking for ones and twos; he was looking to score. That's something Shubman Gill could incorporate into his batting because he also likes to get onto the front foot,” Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo.

Gill's aggressive mindset and hard-handed approach require a recalibration of his batting technique to thrive in Test cricket; Anil Kumble, the legendary former India spinner, also supports this assessment. Kumble cautioned that Gill must act swiftly to adapt and prove himself in the longest format, and also stated that the Indian youngster is being given a longer cushion than Cheteshwar Pujara.

“Yes, there are four days before the next Test, but you can work on your mindset. You have the best possible person as a coach to manage that. He certainly is being given the cushion that, perhaps, a Chetehswar Pujara didn't get, although he has played 100 Tests. I keep coming back to that because this was his place. Pujara played in the World Test Championship final, and after that, it was Shubman Gill who moved from the opener's slot. Gill wanted to bat at no.3. If you want to bat there, you need to work on your game to handle this,” Kumble had said during his appearance on JioCinema.