Shubman Gill’s performance in the two warm-up games in the run-up to the four-match test series against Australia has made him the favorite to join Mayank Agarwal as India’s first match for the curtain-raising event in Adelaide on Thursday. Not only did Gill beat Prithvi Shaw, the other in contention for the starter spot, but he also looked more confident and better equipped to handle the pace and rebounding offered on Australian courts.
Legendary cricketers Suni Gavaskar and Allan Border also praised the young right-hander and chose him as India’s other starter in the first round along with Shaw.
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If Gill makes his test debut in the historic pink ball test match on December 17, then he will face his IPL teammate Pat Cummins, who is one of the most powerful weapons in Australian bowling. .
When asked if he had been studying it on networks during the IPL, Cummins said he should have, but now it’s probably too late.
“I really haven’t. Maybe I should have, maybe it’s too late now, ”Cummins told kkr.in. “I think that every time India comes to Australia, there is a story of one or two young people who make a name for themselves in our Australian conditions.”
Cummins called Gill a “class player,” but also didn’t forget to talk about joking with him if the talented young man is chosen for the first test.
“Yes, Shubi (Shubman) is obviously a class player, and it will be interesting to see if he is chosen for India. (If it does) there might even be some friendly jokes on the field between the two of us. “
Cummins feels the series opener against India will put the captains’ tactical acumen to the test as the day and night matches move at a “slightly different pace” with the pink ball spinning a bit more under the lights.
Australia have won each of their four day and night test matches so far against New Zealand, South Africa, England and Pakistan, respectively.
India, on the other hand, has only played one pink ball event, winning convincingly against Bangladesh at Eden Gardens in November last year.
Cummins, who played for Kolkata Knight Riders at the IPL, said there is always a sense of excitement when they approach a pink ball event.
“… We are a bit, I will not say nervous, but excited, knowing that the game moves at a slightly different pace than a normal test. You can have some sessions under the lights where the balls just move, ”Cummins told kkr.in.
“After dinner, when the light takes effect, for whatever reason, the ball seems to spin a little more. “You can have some periods in a test match a bit like a day, where the ball doesn’t swing, it doesn’t come together, and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, it starts moving under the lights.
“It’s just another dynamic of the game. It’s a tactic that captains have to handle: when to hit and when to pitch, ”Cummins said.
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