IND vs ENG: Shubman Gill at No.3 in Tests - An experiment that failed miserably for Team India

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A lot has been said about Shubman Gill occupying the No.3 spot when India’s Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara’s name dissipated from the selectors’ radar. Also, there is another side of the narrative to it - with Yashasvi Jaiswal coming into the picture, the Indian think-tank had to come up with a template, without tampering with the batting order.

The 24-year-old bright prospect, who started his Test venture as an opener, reportedly started playing at one down, after Jaiswal took the opener’s spot. While the left-hander cemented an irrefutable claim to greatness as an opener, Gill, on the other hand, is the lone man, who is lost in space now, constantly figuring out ways to locate the light at the end of the tunnel.

Ind vs Eng: Shubman Gill finds no spark at one down

The Fazilka-born failed to act as a crucial link between the top order and the middle order while batting at No.3. The right-hander who scored four fifties and two centuries as an opener, is yet to score a fifty at one down, which has been a major cause of concern for him.

Expectations were raised when he approached the game with intent in the first innings of the second Test in Visakhapatnam. Gill did make adjustments in his approach by enhancing his run-scoring rate, smashing five fours at a strike rate of 73.91 but he fell prey to James Anderson’s delivery.

He made an error by stepping forward to defend the ball but it backfired him as he edged it to England’s wicketkeeper, Ben Foakes. Gill made his way back to the dressing room after making 34 runs. He accumulated 223 runs at an average of around 22 in his last 10 innings, which is extremely low, considering a player of his calibre.

Ind vs Eng: Which is the ideal batting position for Shubman Gill?

The young lad has come under fire for his string of low scores at one down. These statistics are more than enough to indicate that he is not a No.3 player. Perhaps, Gill should open the batting alongside Jaiswal, which will make things sorted out, as the duo is seen as the future opening pair. On the contrary, Rohit Sharma should switch to No.3, considering that he is one of the best players against spin.