India’s talented batter Shubman Gill is delighted to note that young players are grabbing their opportunities with both hands in the ongoing Test series against England. In the absence of players like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Mohammed Shami, the youngsters are getting a chance to prove their mettle.
Yashasvi Jaiswal has taken Test cricket like fish to water, scoring 545 runs in the first three Test matches at an average of 109. Sarfaraz Khan made a terrific start to his Test career, scoring twin half-centuries in both innings at Rajkot. Furthermore, Dhruv Jurel also made an impressive debut, adding 46 runs and also doing a good job behind the stumps.
Gill, who was under the scanner for his place in the team, said they have come up with a collective batting show against England.
“We have scored close to 400 in the first innings of every match so far in the series. Every batter can’t score big runs in every game, everyone goes through ups and downs,” said Gill in the pre-match press conference.
“In the first match, multiple players scored over 80. In the second match, Yashavi Jaiswal scored a double hundred. In the previous match, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja scored centuries.
“It’s not that only one batter is performing. Everybody is chipping in with runs and that’s why we are able to put close to 400 runs on board every time.
Meanwhile, Gill was able to bounce back to form as he scored 104 runs in the second innings at Vizag. The right-hander was dismissed for a blob in the first innings at Rajkot but scored 91 runs in the second essay.
Gill admitted it is not easy to fill in the big shoes of Virat Kohli but the young players have done a decent job.
“Virat Kohli hasn’t been with us for three matches. Obviously, when a player of Kohli’s calibre isn’t available, it does make a difference but in his place, the way Sarfaraz Khan recently batted, he did very well,” said Gill.
“New players are getting opportunities and they are grabbing them.”
Jasprit Bumrah will be rested for the fourth Test match after bowling more than 80 overs in the first three games. However, Gill added they have experience in the fast bowling unit to get the job done.
“Just like Kohli, any time Jasprit Bumrah isn’t playing, it’s a huge miss for the team. He is the leader of our fast-bowling attack. But if you look at it, Mohammed Siraj picked four crucial wickets last game. All our pacers are experienced enough in Indian conditions to execute the reverse swing.”
“The way the youngsters have performed in the absence of key players has been great. They are aware that this opportunity has come because of the absence of the senior stars, so everyone has been giving their best.”
India and England will next take on each other at JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi in the fourth Test match from Friday.
