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Legendary Sunil Gavaskar has asked Shubman Gill to curb his aggressive insticts while batting in Tests after the young batsman failed in the first Test against South Africa at Centurion.
Gill made two and 26 at the SuperSport Park and fell to pacers Nandre Burger and Marco Jansen in the first and second innings respectively as India lost the opening Test by an innings and 32 runs.
"I think he is playing a bit too aggressively in Test cricket. There is a slight difference when you play Test cricket when compared to T20I and ODI cricket. The difference is in the ball.
"The red ball moves a little more than the white ball in the air and off the pitch as well. It bounces a little more too. He should keep that in mind,” Gavaskar told Star Sports.
While Gill had a fine run in the limited over versions, he has managed to score only one fifty-plus score in the traditional format in 10 innings in 2023, a hundred against Australia at home in March.
His nine other outings produced scores of: 21, 5, 13, 18, 6, 10, 29 not out, 2, 26.
Gavaskar hoped that Gill would find his range sooner than later.
"Shubman Gill started off his career so well and we praised his shots. We can only hope that he gets back into his form. Hope he trains harder and does well in the future,” said Gavaskar.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain also earmarked Gill to return to form in Test cricket.
"He (Gill) had a very good three quarters, or nine tenths of 2023. You must have learned so much having the likes of Rohit Sharma at the other end," Hussain told ICC.
"He just fell away maybe at the end. Maybe that illness, you know, just got to him a little bit, and he's formed just in a month. We take it far too short when we're in the broadcasting world.
"He's a super talent, and he's going to be the next sensation for India for years to come. So, hopefully, he'll have a good 2024."
India will be aiming to square the series in the second and final Test against South Africa at Cape Town, starting from January 3.