For the first time in his Test career, which started in December 2020 and has so far spanned across 16 Test matches, Shubman Gill will bat at number 3 for India in Tests after being the opener so far in his Test career.
This change in position for the 23-year-old comes after Cheteshwar Pujara was dropped and India included Yashasvi Jaiswal in the side.
There might have been discussions about who among the two youngsters should open along with Rohit Sharma and who should bat at number 3. It has now been learned that it was Shubman Gill himself was confident about batting at number 3.
Ahead of the Dominica Test, Shubman Gill stated, “In India A matches, I batted at 3 and 4. They asked me where I wanted to bat, and I said I wanted No. 3. It is a position where I want to consolidate.”
Gill’s statement reflects his determination to succeed at number 3 and want to own this position for the coming dozen years.
Here’s why Shubman Gill should be a long-term number 3 option:
Shubman Gill’s technique is well-equipped to face both pacers and spinners
Even when he made his debut as an opener and in the past couple of years when he’d been opening in Tests, there were calls from many quarters that Shubman Gill will bat in the middle-order and make the middle-order position – most preferably the number 4 slot after Virat Kohli retires – his home.
This was because his technique is judged to be amongst the best in the Indian team with no real chink in his armor. Over and over Gill has shown he’s capable of handling any fast bowler in the world with ease; and he also has a sound technique to battle out the spinners. He can mix aggression with caution against the spinners, and bat according to the requirement of the situation. Something which Virat Kohli and before him, Sachin Tendulkar did it to the tee.
Even as Shubman Gill is now batting in a new position at number 3, it is likely that he will shift to number 4 after Kohli bows out. Batting at number 3, and more so number 4, is an idea to prevent your best batsman from facing the new ball against fresh pacers.
His style is different from Dravid and Pujara; he’s more like Kohli and Rahane
Coming back to the number 3 slot for Shubman Gill – as Virat Kohli is unlikely to go anywhere away from number 4 for at least a couple of more years – his batting style is very much a change from the two previous Indian legends at number 3: Dravid and Pujara. In fact, Gill’s style is more similar to Kohli, Rahane, and Tendulkar.
While Cheteshwar Pujara and Dravid batted in traditional, attritional fashion, aiming to grind out he bowlers, Gill, like Kohli and Tendulkar, wanted to take the bowlers head-on.
Now with Gill batting at number 3, he can shift the momentum of the game quickly and put the pressure back on the bowlers after the fall of a wicket, be it early in the innings or after the openers had had a long partnership.
