Navigating three formats as a batter in cricket may be a challenge but Shubman Gill should have no problem in doing so, accordoing to former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson. Gill has this year become a regular in all formats with the Indian management earmarking him as a future full-time captain of all three sides. He is already leading in Test and ODI cricket and is vice-captain to Suryakumar Yadav in T20Is.
“It does take time (to make adjustments), and it’s through trial and error that you really realise exactly what you need to do to make those adjustments, and playing in different conditions as well,” Watson is quoted as saying by PTI.
“But Shubman is a ridiculously talented batter. He’s got an amazing technique. It’s not going to take him long at all to be able to really navigate his way through the different formats because when someone is as highly skilled as he is, it’s not going to take him too long.”
Gill had established himself as one of the best in the world in ODI cricket and was a consistent performer in the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, he was yet to translate that consistency into Tests and T20Is. That changed in his very first Test series as captain though, in which he scored a whopping 754 runs in five matches in England. Gill has also been opening the innings with Abhishek Sharma since being made vice-captain in the format.
“It definitely is a challenge, and the more you do it, the better you get at really understanding the little adjustments that you have to make to your technique, to your game plan, your mindset around each format to be able to then get into the best version of you every time you have to make that adjustment,” said Watson.
