IND VS NZ | India leaving Shubman Gill out unnecessarily, feels Scott Styris

02/24/2020

Former Kiwi batsman Scott Styris feels that India should include Shubman Gill in the side for the second Test to bolster the batting line-up, given the visitors' struggles in the first Test. Styris feels that Gill needs to replace young Prithvi Shaw, who accumulated just 30 runs in the entire match.

It was a disappointing outing for team India in Wellington, as the Virat Kohli & Co. were handed a thrashing, which was subsequently also their first defeat in the ongoing World Test Championship. The game saw a string of bad performances from several Indian players - especially Prithvi Shaw and Cheteswhar Pujara - but despite the no-show, Indian skipper Virat Kohli stressed that he should not be too harsh on his players.

However, former New Zealand all-rounder and renowned commentator Scott Styris is of a completely different opinion, and attested that India should include Shubman Gill in the side for the second Test in Christchurch. Styris further labeled Gill as a 'special talent'.

“I am currently, as I have been for a year or two, flying flag for Shubman Gill. I think he is a special talent who India are leaving out unnecessarily. I think he could be the mainstay along with Kohli for the next 10 years for this batting line-up for India. I am not sure if he feels the same way, I would get him into the side,” said Styris, reported Hindustan Times.

The 44-year-old admitted that India might find it hard to decide a suitable batting position for Gill, but suggested that the 20-year-old should replace Prithvi Shaw at the top of the order. Shaw, who played the ODIs that preceded the Tests, has not had the greatest of tours and in the first Test, too, managed to accumulate a total of 30 runs.

“They can say, ‘Look Prithvi, we know you are young, we’ll come back to you in another conditions’, maybe put Vihari up the top or put Shubman Gill at 6. Or of course, they can put him straight into the top of the order because that’s where he usually bats,” suggested the Kiwi.

The second and the final Test will be played at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on February 29.