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'Just One Mistake..', Sunil Gavaskar Reveals Main Reason Behind Gill's Downfall In SA

image-lqs34l25Shubman Gill failed to impress in Centurion Test [AP]

In what happened to be a one-sided contest, South Africa handed an innings and 32-run defeat to India during the recently concluded Centurion Test. The Men in Blue’s hopes of winning a Test series in South Africa came crashing down within a mere three days into the two-game Test series. 

While the visitors failed to come together as a team collectively, Shubman Gill’s failure remained a highlight. Owing to Yashasvi Jaiswal’s inclusion, Gill gave up his opener’s slot to the rookie and batted at number three.

However, the change in position backfired as Gill failed in both innings of the Centurion Test. While the Gujarat Titans captain was unlucky in the first innings, his dismissal in the second inning was a clear case of wrongful shot selection.


Sunny Gavaskar Identifies Flaws In Gill's Approach

Former Indian cricketer and commentator Sunil Gavaskar spoke to Star Sports and broke down Gill’s dismissal to highlight a big mistake. Gavaskar said that Shubman fell prey to Marco Jansen’s change in line. He earlier bowled on the off-stump but was getting hit.

Thus, he tried to bowl on the pads and cleaned up Gill immediately. Gavaskar further explained that Shubman Gill should have tried to play down the ground at mid-on. The choice to play at mid-wicket perhaps wasn’t the wisest.

"The length was very good, it was a fuller length, but Shubman Gill probably made just one mistake. He wouldn't have been in trouble had he tried to play towards mid-on. He would have got an inside edge. He tried to play towards mid-wicket," Gavaskar said on Star Sport.

Moreover, the former cricketer feels that Gill didn’t open the face on his bat. He was in an uncomfortable position, which exposed the edge of his bat. Had his bat remained straight, Jansen’s fuller delivery would have caught an inside edge, and Gill would have survived.

"The bat wasn't straight at all, the edge of the bat was visible, and the ball went through. If even a slight face of the bat was visible, he would have got an inside edge but that didn't happen. Marco Jansen was getting hit when he was bowling on the off-stump. So he thought of bowling on the pads and he (Gill) got out when he did that," he added.

The mistake eventually triggered a middle-order collapse as Shubman Gill gifted his wicket despite being a well set batter. He had scored 26 runs in 37 deliveries and looked solid. Virat Kohli looked dangerous at one end, and if Gill held the other side, the duo could have built a sturdy partnership. It surely was an opportunity lost for Shubman Gill and India as well.