Picture Credit: X
The members of the Indian cricket team haven’t got any respite since their 1-3 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series loss against Australia down under. However, their 2023-25 Test calendar might be over, but their dismal performances in the recent cricketing assignments has got them under the radar of several cricket pundits. Among many, former India cricketer Subramaniam Badrinath was the latest to take a jibe at Shubman Gill.
The former right-handed middle order batter while speaking on Star Sports Tamil, questioned Shubman Gill’s contribution in the recently-concluded five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. It is to be noted that 25-year-old managed to score 93 runs in the five innings down under and an injury had forced him to miss the tournament opener in Perth.
He has not lived up to expectations: S Badrinath questions Shubman Gill’s contribution in BGT 2024-25
Speaking with the broadcasters after the conclusion of the BGT 2024-25, S Badrinath chastised Gill for his efforts in the longer format, questioning his underwhelming contribution with the bat. "It is very difficult for me to see this. For that level, he has not lived up to expectations. You can get runs, you cannot, but there should have been intent and aggression. I wanted him to tire out the bowlers," Badrinath said while speaking on Star Sports Tamil.
"I want you to make the ball old. Help your teammates and stand firm even if runs are not coming. Play 100 balls, tire the bowlers. This is what your team contribution [is supposed to be]. Labuschange and McSweeney did that in a couple of games. By playing out a lot of dot balls, they had actually made Bumrah injured," he added. The 42-year-old further went onto to opine that if Gill would have been from Tamil Nadu, he would have been dropped.
However, the 25-year-old was impressive in the Adelaide Test, but eventually threw his wicket. S Badrinath further went on to question his contribution in the field, stating, "You must not go there and say, oh, this is the way I play. I will stand and deliver. Four people will write about it. Whatever you can do, at that time, you try and do.” “In this series, I did not get it from Shubman. Even on the field, he was poor. He couldn't stay in slip and point. What does he contribute to the team?" he asked.
The Forizpur-born although missed the first Test due to a finger injury, after playing the next two game, he was left out of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. He then returned for the Sydney Test in place of Rohit Sharma, but failed to make a mark. In five innings, he scored 93 runs at an average of 18.60. In his 32 Test matches since his debut in 2020 in Melbourne, Gill has amassed 1893 runs at an average of 35.06.
