(Cricket News) Rahul Dravid has come to the defense of Shubman Gill amid his struggles in Test cricket, clarifying that KL Rahul won’t be taking on the role of wicketkeeper and emphasizing that the Uppal Stadium pitch in Hyderabad will exhibit turn right from the first day.
Gill, at the age of 24, who has excelled in white-ball cricket, has faced challenges in converting his form to Test cricket. Since moving to the No. 3 position in West Indies, he has only managed to score 103 runs in six innings.
Dravid stated, “Gill is a fine player. Starting out as a cricketer, sometimes we forget that it takes a little bit of time at times. Some guys have success instantly; actually, he is one of those guys who has done really well in some of his early days, especially in Australia.”
He attributed Gill’s struggles in Test cricket to the challenging wickets on which the game has been played in recent years, both in India and abroad. Dravid acknowledged Gill’s hard work and noted his positive contributions, including a couple of centuries in the last season.
Regarding the wicketkeeper position, Dravid clarified that KL Rahul, who kept wickets in South Africa, will not do so in the upcoming five-match Test series against England. The selection for the wicketkeeper-batter role will be between KS Bharat and Dhruv Jurel.
Dravid commented on the pitch conditions in Hyderabad, stating, “It is a hard one to say until the start. It looks good. It will spin a little bit; how fast and how quickly, that I am not sure. It will favor the spinners as the game goes on.”
With Virat Kohli opting out of the first two Tests due to personal reasons, Dravid acknowledged the absence of a player of Kohli’s caliber but sees it as an opportunity for someone else to step up. He expressed confidence in the team’s experience, highlighting players like Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, and R Ashwin, while also seeing the five Tests as an opportunity for the younger players like Shreyas and Shubman to make their mark.
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