‘The kind of cricket Bangladesh has played…’: Shubman Gill expecting an intriguing contest | Cricket News



NEW DELHI: Shubman Gill, one of India’s top-order batsmen, thinks the forthcoming Test series against Bangladesh would be a fascinating and engaging match. India and Bangladesh will play their first Test in Chennai on September 19 and their second Test in Kanpur beginning on September 27.
In addition to Gill, left-arm bowler Yash Dayal has received his first call-up.The match against Chennai marks the return of Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli to the Test team.
“I don’t think you can underestimate any international side. The kind of cricket Bangladesh has played in the last couple of months, especially in Pakistan, has been impressive. Their fast bowlers and the way their middle-order batters have absorbed pressure shouldn’t be disregarded. So, I believe it will be an interesting and intriguing contest,” said Gill to JioCinema, as per IANS.
In 25 Tests so far, Gill has made 1492 runs at an average of 35.52, with the last year seeing him transition into a number three batter. Asked about the challenges he’s had in batting at number three in Tests, Gill remarked, “Quite often, when you’re playing in a different position, everyone knows your potential, but you still have to prove yourself.”
“In the initial matches when I played as number three, I couldn’t perform well – against West Indies and South Africa. I was getting good starts, scoring 20s and 30s, but I wasn’t able to convert them. When I returned, I knew I had to turn these performances around. Moving forward, my goal is to convert my fifties into big hundreds,” he added.
Against England in this year’s 4-1 Test series victory, Gill, batting at number three, collected 452 runs in nine innings at an average of 56.50. “That was a big confidence boost for me, especially after losing the first Test match. Quite a few players were unavailable, so there was pressure on us to win the series.
“I had never played five Test matches before, so it was a good experience and exciting to feel that intensity. Even after getting breaks following two Test matches, we never dropped that intensity,” stated Gill on learnings from the England series win.