Kevin Pietersen earnestly urged Rahul Dravid to mentor Shubman Gill, emphasizing the transformative impact Dravid had on Pietersen’s own game.
Struggling in the longest format, Shubman Gill’s recent performances have been modest since his notable 128 against Australia last year. In the ongoing Hyderabad Test against England, his contribution was limited to 23 off 66 in a 43-run partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal for the second wicket. The young batter’s challenges in Test cricket persist, with his struggle to replicate the earlier success against Australia.
Highlighting Gill’s struggles in Test cricket, Kevin Pietersen urged India’s head coach Rahul Dravid to mentor the young batter, drawing parallels to the transformative impact Dravid had on Pietersen’s own game.
Pietersen also underlined Gill’s need to refine his skills, particularly hitting through the offside, improving shot selection, and mastering the art of rotating strikes, especially against spinners.
“Shubman Gill has somebody in the dressing room now who changed my game, Rahul Dravid. So, I would say to Rahul Dravid, and I don’t know how much of the broadcast he watches, please go and spend time with Gill and do the same stuff that he talked to me about. Go and get him hitting the ball through the offside. Practicing, picking links better, rotating strikes, doing things that will make him a better player because he has a quality player in Shubman Gill in his dressing room,” Pietersen said.
“And I’m not disappointed in the way that he got out. I’m just disappointed in the fact that he hasn’t got that ability yet, but he’s still a kid. Give him that ability. Give him that structure, and play the attacking shots that he has got in his armoury. We’ve seen some of those beautiful innings, but if he rotates strike and he learns from Rahul Dravid, who needs to just take him under his wing and say, young man, this is how you do it, the world is his oyster,” he added.
Gill, having scored only one century at home and two in total, will be under close observation in the ongoing Test series as he strives to tackle the challenges of his initial Test cricket career.
Last Updated on January 28, 2024
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