Ranchi : In a pre-match press conference on Wednesday, Indian cricketer Shubman Gill acknowledged the absence of Virat Kohli in the team for the past three matches, stating that it inevitably affects the team. However, Gill commended the impressive performance of Sarfaraz Khan, highlighting his excellent batting display as a replacement for Kohli. Gill emphasized the importance of young Indian players seizing opportunities in the ongoing Test series against England, ahead of the fourth Test match in Ranchi.
He further stressed the significance of players capitalizing on good starts to achieve substantial scores in the ongoing series. India’s impressive performance in the third Test in Rajkot, where they scored 400-plus totals in both innings with multiple players contributing centuries and fifties, was highlighted. Despite not reaching a 50-plus score in his initial three innings of the series, Gill showcased a comeback with a century in Vizag and a solid 91 off 151 balls in the recent innings in Rajkot. Gill noted that while not every player can consistently achieve big scores, everyone has been contributing runs effectively in the series.
Gill also highlighted India’s consistent performance of scoring close to 400 runs in the first innings of every match in the series. He emphasized that while not every batter can consistently produce big runs in every game, it’s normal for players to experience fluctuations in form. Gill pointed out the collective effort of the team, citing examples such as multiple players scoring over 80 in the first match, Yashavi Jaiswal’s double century in the second match, and centuries by Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja in the previous match. He underscored the importance of every player contributing runs, leading to India’s consistent ability to put substantial scores on the board.
Shubman Gill praised Sarfaraz Khan for his impressive debut performance in the Rajkot Test. Sarfaraz made a memorable entry into Test cricket by scoring 130 runs across two innings at a strike rate of 94.20. Gill acknowledged the absence of Virat Kohli in the team for three matches but applauded Sarfaraz’s batting as a commendable replacement. Gill highlighted the trend of new players seizing opportunities and performing well in the absence of senior figures.
