The young Indian protege, Shubman Gill insists he is not competing with the fellow youngster, Prithvi Shaw for the opener’s position in the first Test against New Zealand but if he does get the opportunity, he will not be in the mood of taking it lightly. With a double century followed by a ton against New Zealand ‘A’, Gill has made everyone take notice despite Shaw being firmly back in the mix for the upcoming two-match series starting in Wellington from February 21.
Talking about the game, Gill said, “Obviously, our careers started at the same time but there is no fight as such. Both of us have done well in our positions. It’s up to the team management, who they will play. Whoever gets the chance will try to make the most of the opportunity and not let it go waste.”
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Having played in New Zealand for more than a month as part of the ‘A’ team, Gill feels that if New Zealand’s short-ball factor can be nullified, it would go a long way in helping the team. Just like the Indian deputy skipper, Ajinkya Rahane had said in an interview, Gill also expressed that wind will play a crucial role in Wellington during the opening Test which starts February 21.
An opening batsman in a Test match is like a pace-setter whose performance sets the tone for the rest of the line-up, feels Gill, who follows this philosophy for Punjab in the Ranji Trophy.
Talking about open the batting, Gill said, “It was nothing new to me when I was asked to open the innings. When you go at No. 4, already, you are two wickets down. When you are opening the innings, you have to set the game for the whole team. And when you are opening the innings, you have to set the base for the other batsmen coming in so that it will be easy for them.”
India will be playing the second Test in Christchurch at the Hagley Oval, a ground where Shubman registered the scores of 83 and 204 not out in an ‘A’ game.
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Talking about the same, Gill said, “I think the wickets here are really good to bat on, especially when we played in Christchurch. The only challenge that we were facing was the bounce which was really good and consistent. If you are improving your fitness, you won’t know but there will be an improvement. If you are fitter, you are confident that you can play longer innings and won’t be that tired.”
