NEW DELHI: In response to India batter Shubman Gill‘s dismal performance abroad, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting stated the 25-year-old needs to back himself a little more in order to get results.
Gill has amassed 866 runs at an average of 45.52 in 21 innings in 12 Test matches this season, with three hundreds and three fifties apiece. In the last Gabba Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), the 25-year-old continued with his poor form and scored just one run from three balls in the first inning.
Gill has amassed 616 runs at an average of 30.80 in 22 innings throughout 12 Test matches played away from home, including two fifties and one century. 110 is his highest possible score. He has only amassed 481 runs in 19 innings at a poor average of 26.72 in 10 Test matches in SENA countries, though, including two fifties during his first Test trip in Australia, notably the famous performance of 91 at Brisbane that helped India win the series. He hasn’t even reached a fifty in the 13 innings that have passed since that knock.
The youthful player, meantime, has a strong home record, amassing 1,177 runs at an average of 42.03 in 17 games and 31 innings, including four hundreds, five fifties, and a top score of 128.
Ahead of the Boxing Day Test in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Ponting stated on the latest episode of The ICC Review that he enjoys seeing Gill play.
“I love watching him play. When you’re watching him bat and bat well, he looks as good as anyone in world cricket. But the numbers don’t really stack up, do they, away from home?” Ponting was quoted by ICC as saying.
The young Indian player needs to support his defensive style in Australia, the former Australian captain added.
“If anything, I think he needs to back himself a little bit more, needs to back his defensive technique a little bit more here in Australia and still find a way to be able to score and score quickly,” he added.
The 25-year-old is mostly focused on scoring runs and not really on getting out, Ponting continued.
“I’m sure when he’s at home or when he’s generally scored runs anywhere around the world, he scores them in a nice, attacking mode and almost to the point where he’s not really thinking about getting out – he’s only thinking about scoring runs. If he goes in with that mindset and that attitude, then things could change here in Melbourne for him,” Ponting further added.
