Former Australia captain Greg Chappell has made a sensational comment that India opener Shubman Gill is likely to struggle against the Australian pacers in the English conditions when they meet at The Oval for the WTC Final 2023.
Shubman Gill is coming off a record-breaking IPL 2023 tournament where the Gujarat Titans opener finished as the Orange Cap winner with 890 runs to his name – the second most ever by a batsman in the IPL history. Earlier, in the year, the 23-year-old had hit a century against Australia at Ahmedabad. And who could forget his 91 in that epic Gabba win two years ago?
However, playing the Aussie seamers in English conditions is a different challenge altogether.
Greg Chappell reckons there is a chink in Shubman Gill’s armor and the Aussie pacers could exploit it with the new ball early on.
“I don’t wanna go into too much detail, but I’m sure the Australians must have seen a couple of things that I have seen. There are little things that Shubman does a few things early in his innings that make him vulnerable to that length around off stump, and if the ball bounces a little bit extra, he will susceptible to nicking off behind the wicket. But he’s a very good player. If they don’t bowl, he will punish them,” Greg Chappell said on Backstage with Boria.
Shubman Gill has played 2 Test matches in England so far
– one against New Zealand in the WTC 2021 Final in Southampton and another in 2022 against England in Edgbaston. In 4 innings in English conditions, Gill has managed only 57 runs.
Greg Chappell asserted that Shubman Gill would be vulnerable to Mitchell Starc’s extra pace.
“Gill has been to England before. He will struggle like anyone in English conditions if the Australians bowl well. The bowlers who will trouble him most are the ones who get that extra pace like Mitchell Starc. That can worry anyone. The extra pace gets good players out. The extra bit of bounce also gets good players out and I think if Hazlewood is fit to play then he can be a problem for Shubman. If Hazlewood doesn’t play then Boland will most likely play and he’s another bowler who can trouble anyone. He bowls a good line. He knows what a good length can be in English conditions,” Chappell added.
