India vs England: 'Bad patch,' Sunil Gavaskar says Shubman Gill might be feeling 'pressure' of expectations
India vs England: Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar said that the 21-year-old Shubman Gill is just going through a "bad patch" and added that he might be feeling the weight of the expectations.
After a superb tour in Australia, there were a lot of expectations from opener Shubman Gill to perform in the same way in the home series against England. Gill had scored 259 runs in 6 innings in the series Down Under at an average of 51.80, and his innings of 91 runs on the final day of the Brisbane Test was crucial for India's win at the Gabba. But things have not gone the youngster's way against England as he has struggled to get runs on the board.
Gill scored a half century in the 2nd innings of the first Test, but since then, he has scored figures of 0, 14, 11, 15*, and 0. On Thursday, he was out done by a scorching delivery from veteran pacer James Anderson, as he was dismissed for a duck in the first over of India's innings.
India vs England 4th Test Day 2 - LIVE!
So, what has gone wrong for Gill? Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar said that the 21-year-old is just going through a "bad patch" and added that he might be feeling the weight of the expectations.
"It's just a bad patch that anybody can go through. Expectations after the Australia tour were sky high, maybe he's feeling the pressure of those expectations," Gavaskar told India Today.
"Also he needs to play a bit straight at the start of the innings, he is playing across the line at the moment which is getting him into trouble," Gavaskar added.
The former India captain also praised India spinners who picked up eight wickets on Day 1 of the 4th Test to bundle out the visitors for 205.
"Indian spinners and bowlers have bowled really well. England players have not shown the application, determination required to fight it out despite the fact that the odd ball was turning. They were playing down the wrong line, they came in with lot of preconceived ideas.
"Sometimes there can be a lot of theory talk in the change room, but at the end of the day that theory has to be separated from the practical - which is how you play each ball on its merit.
"I don't think the England batsmen did that and that's why they find themselves in this position. If they had even got to 250-60 I think they would have got to a good position," Gavaskar signed off.
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