Shubman Gill enjoyed possibly the most productive Test series of his career thus far. In the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, he scored 754 runs in ten innings, including four 100-plus scores.
Gill, who was named India’s Player of the Series by England head coach Brendon McCullum, performed admirably in his debut Test as captain. Despite four failures in the two Tests in London, he performed admirably in his new role as No. 4.
Despite Gill’s excellent recent form, India might be better off batting him one slot lower down the order. On that note, here are three reasons why Shubman Gill should bat at number five for India in Test cricket.
1. Shubhman Gill’s Technique Suits Handling Second New Ball Challenge
Shubman Gill, ranked fourth, is quite safe from difficult conditions. If the top three perform their jobs, he will not be exposed to the brand new ball, and he should be ready by the time the second new ball arrives.
Nevertheless, through the technical adjustments, which he has effected, Gill is now assured that he is in a position to play off against the best bowlers in the worst conditions. He has the ability to absorb the second new ball in case need be, and technical ability to grind through that phase.
No. 5 is a key role in Test cricket as of late, with players like Travis Head and Harry Brook playing admirably. Gill, whose good breeding is unexampled, might be one of them.
2. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar can easily take on more batting responsibility
There is the obvious question of alternatives. If Gill moves down to No. 5, who will bat fourth? India has two leading prospects who are probably better suited to the role than the present captain.
Ravindra Jadeja is an excellent Test batsman, averaging 86 in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. While he has some weaknesses against spin, he has also scored a lot of runs at home.
Meanwhile, Washington Sundar is quickly emerging as one of the world’s most exciting possibilities. He’s demonstrated tremendous calmness at the crease and clearly has the potential to play a higher-level role.
When bowling a significant number of overs in the subcontinent, Jadeja and Sundar may not choose to bat in the top four. However, their dual presence ensures that their effort is effectively distributed across both departments, allowing India to exploit their high batting ceilings.
3. Gill’s range of strokeplay could have greater use at No. 5
The most essential reason why Gill would be ideal at No. 5 is his strokeplay. The Indian captain, along with Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, are well-suited to batting with more freedom down the order.
If Gill ends up batting in the lower-middle or lower order, he can be relied on to farm strike while still having the range to create scoring opportunities against defensive fields. His presence at No. 5 would also push Pant down to No. 6, and the gloveman could benefit from a longer rest period between keeping and batting.
Jadeja and Sundar have improved in this aspect, with a few key contributions from the lower order against England. However, Gill will most likely outperform them in the role. Even if it does not include batting with the tail, the superb batter’s ability to score on both sides of the wicket, like Head and Brook, will make him an ideal No. 5 batsman.
