Dinesh Karthik raises concerns about Shubman Gill's position in the Indian Test team
By Ovaise Shariff | First Published Jan 1, 2024, 10:31 AM ISTIn the aftermath of India's challenging Test series against South Africa, veteran cricketer Dinesh Karthik voices concerns over Shubman Gill's place in the Test team.
Experienced wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has expressed doubts about Shubman Gill's future in the Indian cricket team, suggesting that he might make way for promising talents such as Sarfaraz Khan and Rajat Patidar. India's disappointing performance in the first Test against South Africa in Centurion has prompted scrutiny of the team's capabilities in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia). Since Virat Kohli stepped down as the Test captain, India has struggled to secure a victory in these nations. While acknowledging the need for improvements in various aspects, Karthik specifically questioned Gill's place in the team, pointing out the presence of domestic stalwarts awaiting their chance in Test cricket.
Gill's scores of 2 and 26 in the Centurion Test raised concerns, especially as India suffered an innings defeat. With only KL Rahul and Virat Kohli showing resilience with the bat, other batters faced difficulties.
Latest Videos
Karthik openly admitted that Gill's performance would be closely scrutinised, stating, "Shubman Gill is the big question mark here. He has not lived up to the expectations that people have." Karthik emphasized that if Gill doesn't significantly improve his performance, his place in the team could be in jeopardy.
Regarding potential replacements for Gill, Karthik highlighted Sarfaraz Khan and Rajat Patidar as strong contenders. Both players have excelled in domestic cricket, and Karthik believes they are likely to receive opportunities in the national team soon.
"The only middle-order name that we are missing out on is Sarfaraz Khan. I have no doubt that he will make it to the squad much sooner than he thinks right now. Other than that, you do not have any other names doing the round in the middle order right now. Rajat Patidar is a very, very strong name that I think they will be looking at very soon," stated the wicketkeeper-batsman.
subscribe to Asianet Newsable WhatsApp channel by clicking here. For more reliable and latest news
subscribe to Asianet Newsable Telegram channel by clicking here.