Shubman Gill Eyes Redemption in Upcoming Test Series

Indian cricket opener Shubman Gill expressed dissatisfaction with his Test performances. As Gill leads India A against India B in the Duleep Trophy, he aims to excel in the upcoming 10-match Test season. Gill emphasizes improving his defense against spinners and handling leadership responsibilities at a young age.

Indian opener Shubman Gill, on Wednesday, expressed his dissatisfaction with his performance in Test cricket. Gill shared his thoughts ahead of leading India A against India B in the Duleep Trophy match in Bengaluru, starting Thursday.

Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Gill acknowledged not meeting his own expectations in Tests but looks forward to the upcoming 10-match Test season. India's Test schedule includes two against Bangladesh starting September 19 and culminating in the Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia from November 22. In between, India faces three Tests against New Zealand at home. 'I have not reached my expectations yet, but with the ten Test matches ahead, I hope to meet them,' Gill said.

Despite a stellar knock of 91 at Gabba in 2021 and consistent T20 performances, Gill faced form issues in Tests. A strong series against England at home helped him regain credibility, scoring 498 runs at an average of 49.80 this year. Gill stressed improving his defensive game against spinners and balancing leadership pressures.

Gill, at 24, embraces leadership roles, whether as captain or vice-captain, even in the IPL. 'My role as a batsman remains to get runs and make my team win,' he remarked, highlighting the deeper player connections built over years of age-group cricket. Enjoying his role in leadership, Gill emphasized performance-led captaincy as key to team success.

The revised squads for the Duleep Trophy first round were also announced: India A: Shubman Gill (capt), Mayank Agarwal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel (wk), KL Rahul, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Tanush Kotian, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan, Vidwath Kaverappa, Kumar Kushagra, Shaswat Rawat. India B: Abhimanyu Easwaran (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Musheer Khan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Navdeep Saini, Yash Dayal, Mukesh Kumar, Rahul Chahar, R Sai Kishore, Mohit Awasthi, N Jagadeesan (wk).

(With inputs from agencies.)