Former Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting has given his opinion on the poor batting performance of young Indian batter Shubman Gill, who has struggled miserably in the last two games of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Gill's poor form has further highlighted his struggle in overseas conditions. Ricky Ponting feels that Gill needs to back himself to get positive outcome.
Gill's unimpressive form continued during the Gabba Test, scoring just one run off three balls. In 12 Tests this year, Gill has scored 866 runs from 21 innings at an average of 45.52, including three centuries and three half-centuries. However, his record at home has been blazing, scoring 1177 runs at an average of 42.03 with four centuries in 17 Tests. Gill missed the first Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but returned to register his presence in the second and third game. However, his performance has been really depressing.
"I love watching him play. When you're watching him bat and bat well, he looks as good as anyone in world cricket. But the numbers don't really stack up, do they, away from home? I watched him a little bit in Adelaide and it almost looked like he changed things up too much. Scott Boland was bowling and he changed his guard, he moved across to the off stump, presented his front pad to Boland, and Boland got him out with a full straight one," Ponting said on the ICC Review.
During the 2020-21 tour of Australia, Gill was in marvellous form as he plundered a match-winning knock of 91 in Brisbane. His innings had helped India win the series.
"If anything, I think he needs to back himself a little bit more, needs to back his defensive technique a little bit more here in Australia and still find a way to be able to score and score quickly. I'm sure when he's at home or when he's generally scored runs anywhere around the world, he scores them in a nice, attacking mode and almost to the point where he's not really thinking about getting out - he's only thinking about scoring runs," Ponting said.