Former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer believes that Shubman Gill, known for his stylish batting, has the potential to play anywhere in the batting order in Test cricket. However, Gill’s recent stint at the No. 3 position in the Test series against the West Indies did not yield the desired results. Despite the youngster’s request to bat at No. 3, he struggled to impact the series, prompting Jaffer to rate his performance with a score of four out of ten.
For the two-match Test series against the West Indies, Shubman Gill requested to bat at the No. 3 position, with Yashasvi Jaiswal opening alongside Rohit Sharma. According to Jaffer, Gill’s versatility as a batsman allows him to adapt and succeed anywhere from No. 1 to No. 5 in the batting lineup.
Wasim Jaffer, who himself has experience as an opener, understands Gill’s decision to move to No. 3. He points out that opening batsmen often face the challenge of going out to bat after fielding for long periods, and shifting to No. 3 offers a slight cushion in this regard, as they get to observe the bowlers and pitch conditions before taking the crease.
Wasim Jaffer said, “He is a good player. A player like him can play anywhere from No. 1 to No. 5. Shubman Gill has a game like that. He would have thought something before doing that. I remember he was playing at No. 3 or No. 4 in the Under-19 World Cup as well. However, we have consistently seen him open. I am not surprised about his decision to choose No. 3. We openers had a problem sometimes when we fielded for 150 overs and had to go and face the new ball within 10 minutes. So No. 3 gives you a little cushion.”
Despite Gill’s request and rationale, his performances at No. 3 during the Test series against the West Indies were not up to the mark. Jaffer rates Gill’s overall showing with a score of four out of ten. The 22-year-old managed only 45 runs in his three innings at an average of 22.50, falling cheaply in two of those innings to both pace and spin bowling.
While Jaffer acknowledges that these are early days in Gill’s Test career, he emphasizes that the tour did not go as planned for the young batsman. However, he also highlights that it’s not a major concern at this stage, and there is ample room for improvement and learning from the experience.
“You get to see the bowling and the pitch. Maybe that could be one of the reasons. I would give him four marks because he got two good opportunities. However, these are early days, it’s not a huge concern, but the tour has not been good.” Jaffer further added.
