Former India opener Wasim Jaffer has applauded Team India’s talented keeper-batter Ishan Kishan for his impressive batting exploits in India’s recently concluded three-match ODI series against West Indies. Jaffer, however, opined that Kishan utilised opportunities to score big runs in the series. He suggested that he should look to convert his starts into hundreds going forward as well.
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, he shared: “Getting three fifties in three games, you would say that he is the third opener in line, and obviously the second wicketkeeper also going forward. He did his chances no harm. But he needs to learn to convert those starts into big hundreds. That’s what the Indian batters need to learn from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.”
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Ishan Kishan stepped up with the bat in all three fixtures, finishing with scores of 52, 55, and 77. With 184 runs at an average of 61.33 as well. Jaffer also said that opening batter Shubman Gill had a chance of scoring a century in the third ODI as well. However, Gill was under immense pressure coming into the third ODI after failing to do well in the first two fixtures. He scored a crucial 85-run knock in the deciding encounter.
“He (Shubman Gill) looked composed and set to get a big hundred. He just slowed down a little bit when Hardik (Pandya) came in. There was a passage of play where India got only 11 runs in five overs. (Gudakesh) Motie bowled really well to him.”Otherwise, he could have got that hundred and probably got even more. He was probably the more assured out of the guys who got fifties,” he said.
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“Getting 350 was obviously positive, but if I can be a little critical, somebody not getting the hundred (could be one of the negatives). Shubman Gill was playing really well. Ishan Kishan missed an opportunity to get 120 or 150. Even Sanju Samson, when he got out, 17-18 overs were left. Batters need to score 120 or 100-plus scores. Against good teams, that becomes a winning thing,” Wasim Jaffer concluded.
