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Why Shubman Gill Was Dropped For Boxing-Day Test? India Coach Explains

Poulomi Chakraborty∙ Updated: Dec 26 2024, 7:54 PM

Reason revealed for Gill's exclusion [Source: AP Photos] Reason revealed for Gill's exclusion [Source: AP Photos]

The ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy heats up as the fourth Test match of the series unfolds at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. As the match started, Indian fans were left stunned when Shubman Gill was snubbed from the playing xi and Washington Sundar replaced him.

The first day of the Melbourne Test saw Team India’s fierce fight back after some early blows. Especially, after the lunch the bowlers heated up the clash. As the day concluded, Team India’s assistant coach Abhishek Nayar broke his silence about Gill’s omission from the playing XI.

Nayar on Gill’s Omission

After a finger injury sidelined him in the Perth Test, Shubman Gill came back in the Adelaide Test and scored 59 runs in the combined two innings. As the team stepped into the Melbourne Test, the management took some bold calls. Rohit Sharma regained his place in the top order and Washington Sundar joined the squad. Regarding those changes. Gill faced a snub. After the first day of the ongoing Test, India’s assistant coach Abhishek Nayar opened up on this.

“Well I think a lot of the decisions when they are made, and the process of it being made, the communication is always there, transparency is there. Rohit will come up in the order and more likely than not he will open the innings for us. So I think that was the thought process and unfortunately for him [Gill], just how things panned out.” Nayar said.


“He had to miss out and sometimes I just feel for a young player in a position like that, a big day, he wants to make his mark, he understands it is a team's requirement and it is unfortunate. I wouldn't say that he has been dropped per se, it is just unfortunate that he couldn't find his place in his team.” he added.

On Rohit-Kohli’s Run Drought:

As the series progresses, concerns are growing over the lackluster forms of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Despite a brilliant century in the Perth Test, Kohli’s bat remained silenced in the previous games. On the flip side, Rohit Sharma managed to score only 19 runs in the previous two matches. Their run drought is putting pressure on the rest of the side. Nayar shared his view on this.

“I always believe that it's about confidence and a start. Once a player gets a start, their game looks different. So, I think Virat and Rohit are both such players. If they can play 25-30 balls, then you will see the same Virat and Rohit that you see earlier. But, this is a game of confidence. So, no matter how much you practice, no matter how much you talk, in the end, when you get into the match, it's very important to play 20-25-30 balls.” Nayar said.

Team India fought back on Day 1 after early blows, but Australian debutant batter Sam Konstas shone with an incredible half-century. Bumrah’s key wicket of Travis Head offered some respite as he walked away on a duck. After an intense showdown on day one, Australia ended the day on 311-6.