Shubman Gill has struggled to make an impact on his Australian tour so far as he has failed to convert his good starts into big scores and the story is the same in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Reacting to Gill's struggles, Dinesh Karthik believes a “technical flaw” and the influence of playing too much white-ball cricket are the reasons behind the Indian batsman's failures in Australia.
Dinesh Karthik identifies the reason behind Shubman Gill's struggle
The former Indian batsman pointed out that Shubman Gill's tendency to push the ball, especially in Test cricket, became evident in his recent performances in the five-match Test series between India and Australia.
Over three innings in the first two Tests of the ongoing 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the right-handed batsman managed just 60 runs. He missed the first match in Perth with a fractured thumb and then managed 31 and 28 in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide, while being dismissed for just 1 in the tied Test at the Gabba, Brisbane.
Ahead of the Boxing Day Test, Karthik pointed out that when players focus too much on white-ball cricket, they tend to develop a habit of pushing the ball, which doesn't work in Test cricket and that's why Shubman Gill is struggling . to make runs on Australian soil.
Shubman Gill has a small technical error: Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik said on Cricbuzz: “I think Shubman Gill definitely had a slight technical error, which pushes the ball. When you play a lot of white-ball cricket, you tend to do that (push at the ball). Even Travis Head does that, but what he found is a method of doing it and I think players like Shubman are caught in the trap of the way they bat in India and the way they bat outside.”
In places like Australia, England and South Africa, batsmen have to adapt by playing with soft hands and focusing on playing the ball closer to the body or leaving it altogether, but Gill's instinct in India is to play aggressively and to pass the ball to the ball. , and he plays like that Down Under and loses his wicket, so he has to change his mindset and approach.
Also Read: Sam Konstas challenges Jasprit Bumrah ahead of Australia debut against India
Karthik further explained, “The moment you see the ball released by the bowler, your mind tells you that this is a full ball that you have to bowl. Batsmen who travel overseas to places like Australia, England and South Africa adjust in practice when they see a fuller ball like this, especially against a new ball: A) play with slightly soft hands or B) try to focus on playing the ball as close to the body as possible or leaving it.
Shubman Gill plays like he is playing in India where he sees the release and goes after the ball with hard hands. So at the start of the innings, he'll have to say to himself, “I've got to go.”
Dinesh Karthik slams India's knock in BGT 2024-25
Finally, the cricket pundit pointed out that Shubman Gill has played very average knocks so far in the Test series despite batting at the crucial number three spot. He also said that the Indian batsmen are yet to fire in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 and with each passing innings, they are putting pressure on themselves.