Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik believes that top-order batter Shubman Gill will have to score well in the upcoming second and final Test of the series against South Africa to retain his place in the red-ball team. He also shared how Gill has failed to translate his red-hot white-ball form into Test matches as well.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, Karthik said: “Shubman Gill is the big question mark here. He has not lived up to the expectations that people have. I think even he would be aware that if you are going to average mid-30s or early-30s after having played 20 Tests, then you would consider yourself to be a bit lucky to be around. His place will definitely be under the scanner if he doesn’t have a great Test match in the next one.”
However, Shubman Gill has struggled to score in the ongoing South Africa tour. He scored 2 and 26 in the recently concluded Boxing Day Test in Centurion. The talented youngster could score just eight runs from two innings in the T20I series against the Proteas. Karthik also added that India must bring in players like Sarfaraz Khan and Rajat Patidar, who have done well in domestic cricket.
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“The only middle-order name that we are missing out on is Sarfaraz Khan. I have no doubt that he will make it to the squad much sooner than he thinks right now. Other than that, you do not have any other names doing the round in the middle order right now. Rajat Patidar is a very, very strong name that I think they will be looking at very soon,” he further added.
However, Team India’s Test veterans Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara are not part of the squad for the South Africa series. Dinesh Karthik, however, believes they could still make a comeback as well. He also added that if the youngsters continue to fail in overseas conditions, the team management will be tempted try to bring back Pujara and Rahane.
Dinesh Karthik said (via Cricbuzz): “It looks like they have moved on from Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, but it does not mean they would not come back in the squad. If performances are put like this, then as a coach or a captain, you are going to think, let us go back to those players who have done in those countries that we are going to be touring.”
