Sunil Gavaskar on Shubman Gill’s Struggles: “Leave Your Dasher Image Behind”
Sunil Gavaskar Critiques Shubman Gill’s Approach in Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Shubman Gill’s play in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy has faced criticism. Former India legend Sunil Gavaskar had some advice for the young opener. After missing the first Test due to a finger injury, Gill returned to the XI for the pink-ball Test in Adelaide. He struggled to adapt to the Australian conditions. He fell to Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc.
In Brisbane, the series shifted back to red-ball cricket. Gill’s struggles continued. Facing Starc again, he scored just 1 run. Then, he played a careless shot at a wide delivery. It gave a catch to Mitchell Marsh at gully. Gavaskar thinks Gill’s habit of chasing shots is costly in tough conditions like Australia.
Sunil Gavaskar’s Take: “Leave the Ego in the Dressing Room”
On Star Sports, Gavaskar addressed Gill’s need to adapt to the Australian conditions. He offered candid feedback on his approach.
“I know there is a lot of talk happening about the intent and going bang, bang, and bang, He batted well in the series against Bangladesh and some of the other teams, but he will have to understand that the pitches and conditions are different in Australia and you will have to execute your plans accordingly.
Gavaskar urged Gill to shed the aggressive approach early in his innings:
“You have to keep your image of a dasher and ego in the dressing room as that is not going to work over here. You should spend time in the middle, and when you reach 50 or 60 runs, you can play all the shots you have in your batting arsenal,” Sunil Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
Shubman Gill’s Struggles Against Australia’s Pace Attack
In his two outings so far, Mitchell Starc has troubled Gill the most. Starc’s wide, swinging deliveries lured Gill into risky shots. He was softly dismissed. Gill, who excelled in Bangladesh’s spin-friendly conditions, has yet to adjust to the bounce and movement on Australian pitches.
India Struggles After Australia Posts 445 Runs
The Brisbane Test has further exposed India’s batting frailties. After Australia scored 445 in their first innings, India was in trouble at 51/4 by the end of Day 3. Alongside Gill’s early departure, the top order suffered further setbacks:
- Yashasvi Jaiswal: 4 runs
- Virat Kohli: 3 runs
- Rishabh Pant: 9 runs
India’s middle order must recover from a poor start. Australia has the upper hand in this crucial third Test.
As Gavaskar noted, Shubman Gill must adjust to succeed in Australia’s tough conditions. His tendency to play expansive strokes early in his innings has made him vulnerable to a good pace attack. For India to win the series, their young opener must shed his “dasher” image. He must build innings with patience and precision.