India captain Rohit Sharma has backed Shubman Gill to excel at No.3 in Test cricket after the young batter failed with the bat in the first Test against South Africa in Centurion. Gill’s performance in red-ball cricket has been underwhelming, making it challenging for him to find his rhythm in this new role.
“There is not much difference (on opening to batting at number 3). It takes just 1 ball for a number 3 to go in. And sometimes when an opener gets injured, a number 3 has to walk out and open the innings. I don’t see much difference there. Gill is smart and understands his batting pretty well,” Rohit Sharma told the reporters ahead of the second Test.
Shubman Gill struggled in Tests in 2023, having a tough time in his new batting position. After hitting a century in the Border Gavaskar Trophy, Gill failed to score a single fifty throughout the year. Shubman Gill left his opening slot to Yashasvi Jaiswal, who debuted during the West Indies series. Gill’s overall performance in 2023 was disappointing, scoring just 258 runs across 11 innings.
Ruhi Sharma, the captain of India, thinks Shubman Gill will do well at No.3 in Test cricket after the young batter failed with the bat in the first Test against South Africa in Centurion. The way Gill has played red-ball cricket has not been very good, which is making it hard for him to get used to his new job.
“There isn’t a big difference between batting first and batting third.” A number 3 can go in with just one ball. And if the starter gets hurt, the third batter has to step in and start the game. That doesn’t seem to be very different. “Gill is smart and knows how to bat pretty well,” Rohit Sharma told reporters before the second Test.
In 2023, Shubman Gill had a hard time in Tests because he was playing instead of bowling. Gill didn’t score another fifty all year after hitting a hundred in the Border Gavaskar Trophy. The starting spot was given to Yashasvi Jaiswal by Shubman Gill. Jaiswal made his debut during the West Indies series. In 2023, Gill had a disappointing season as a whole, getting only 258 runs in 11 innings.
“That number is better for him.” He has played around that spot in the Ranji Trophy at that number. He has played first in both Tests and limited overs, but he liked being at number 3. At that situation, he thinks he can do well for us. “How you think about certain positions is something that is unique to you,” Rohit said.
“This is what I think: I hated batting at number three.” You can either bat first or wait a little while and go down the order to bat fifth or sixth. “Ever since I started opening, from number 3 to number 7, I don’t think it’s the right spot for anyone,” Rohit said.
“He prefers that number. He has batted in the Ranji Trophy at that number around that position. He has opened in Test and limited overs game but the number 3 was his preference. He feels he can do well for us batting at that position. It is an individual things about how you think about certain positions,” Rohit added.
“I hated batting at number 3 and that is my opinion. Either you open the batting or you wait a little to go down the order to bat at number 5 or 6. Since I started opening, from 3 onwards till number 7 I don’t think it is the right position for anyone,” Rohit further added.
