KL Rahul has come to the defense of Shubman Gill, assuring that the young cricketer is already contemplating his next innings and expressing confidence in his ability to bounce back after a challenging knock on day two of the first Test against England in Hyderabad. Gill’s struggles began on day one as he appeared out of sync with the rhythm, contrasting with Yashasvi Jaiswal’s aggressive strokes.
Unfortunately, the struggles persisted into day two, leading to Gill’s dismissal for a mere 23 runs off 66 balls. Since his impressive 128 against Australia last year, Gill has failed to score a half-century, with Kevin Pietersen pointing out a potential technical issue related to rotating the strike.
In a discussion with Pietersen on JioCinema, KL Rahul, who showcased sublime form by scoring an impressive 86, provided insights into Gill’s performance. Rahul noted that Gill adopted a defensive approach on day one, attempting to see out the day, and faced challenges breaking free on Friday. However, Rahul empathized with his teammate, sensing the desire for a significant shot to alleviate the pressure.
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“When it comes to Shubman, I think he walked in yesterday in a situation where he had to defend his way to the end of the day’s play. Sometimes when you get into a mindset like that, you might find it hard to break free. And I could sense even today that he wanted one shot just to break the shackles and just to make him feel good,” said KL Rahul.
KL Rahul elaborated on Gill’s situation, expressing confidence that the young cricketer would improve over time. He emphasized Gill’s proficiency in playing spin, especially evident in white-ball cricket, and suggested learning from those experiences.
Acknowledging the challenges faced by batters, Rahul affirmed that Gill is already contemplating strategies for the next innings. Despite the tough situation, Rahul remains optimistic about Gill’s capabilities and believes he will emerge stronger from the experience.
In Rahul’s words, “Like I said, he will get better. He is a top-class cricketer. He does play spin really, really well. We’ve seen that in white-ball cricket. It’s about time that he learned from it.”
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“I mean, you know, I’m sure he didn’t want to get himself into a situation where he had to go over the top or had to play a shot just to break free. But yeah, that happens to all batters. And I’m sure he’s already there thinking about what he’ll do in the next one,” concluded KL Rahul.
