While India have taken a commanding lead over England in the first Test in Hyderabad, one of their batsmen has come under fire for his poor form. The first Test between India and England has witnessed some heated moments both on and off the field. After his heroics in Australia in 2023, Shubman Gill was hailed as the next big thing in Indian cricket, but the home series has not lived up to the expectations. In the first Test, he has scored only 23 and 12 runs, and has looked out of sorts against spinners.

Sunil Gavaskar Bashes Shubman Gill

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar criticized his dismissal in the second innings for playing a rash shot against the turn and holed out to mid-wicket. In his comment on JioCinema, Gavaskar asked, “What kind of shot was he trying to play?” One could understand if he was trying to play it in the air, but it was just an incorrect on-drive. After all the hard work, he played a shot that was bad.

Fans and netizens took to social media to question Gill’s place in the Test team, suggesting he should be dropped for the next match. Gavaskar wasn’t the only person to express displeasure with Gill’s performance. A string of poor scores in Australia led to Prithvi Shaw being axed from the Test squad.

KL Rahul Defends Gill

Gill’s senior teammate and vice-captain, KL Rahul, however, gave him some support in the first innings with a fluent 86. Rahul defended Gill’s shot selection, saying he was trying to be positive and put pressure on the bowlers. He also praised Gill’s talent and temperament, and said he was confident Gill would rebound in the near future.

“Shubman gill is a very talented player, and he has shown that in Australia. He is still young, and he is learning every day. He is someone who likes to take on the bowlers, and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But that’s his game, and we don’t want to change that. He is a very positive and aggressive player, and that’s what we need in this team. He has the backing of the team management and the captain, and I am sure he will come good in the next innings or the next match”.

He also said that the pitch was difficult to bat on, and the spinners were getting a lot of turn and bounce. To score runs, the Indian batsmen had to apply themselves, show patience, and be disciplined. According to him, the team is in a good position, and the third day is expected to conclude the match.

At stumps on the second day, India were 421/7, leading England by 175 runs. Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel were batting on 81 and 35 respectively, and looked poised to extend their lead further. England, who opted to bat first, were bowled out for 246 in their first innings, with Ben Stokes top-scoring with 70 runs. Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav shared nine wickets between them.

There will be five Tests in the series, which is part of the World Test Championship. India are currently ranked second in the points table, behind Australia, while England are ranked eighth. 

World Test Championship Points Table 2023-25

Join us at Telegram and visit us frequently at cricbattips for latest sports news and most accurate predictions.