"If the ball doesn't swing much, Shubman Gill can be extremely attacking" - Gautam Gambhir lauds youngster's knock in IND-PAK Asia Cup Super 4 clash

Gautam Gambhir has lauded Shubman Gill for playing an enterprising knock in the Asia Cup 2023 Super Four clash between India and Pakistan.

Gill smashed 58 runs off 52 deliveries as India scored 147/2 in 24.1 overs after being asked to bat first at the R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday, September 10. The match was halted due to rain and will be continued from the same stage on the reserve day, Monday.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Gambhir was asked about Gill's attack on Shaheen Shah Afridi, to which he responded:

"The conditions were also different. The conditions you got in Kandy, you won't get those conditions in Colombo. It was overcast in Kandy but it was quite sunny when Shaheen Shah Afridi started in Colombo. If the ball doesn't swing much, Shubman Gill can be extremely attacking."

The former Indian opener pointed out that the youngster alleviated the pressure on Rohit Sharma. He elaborated:

"You didn't get to see much swing but I believe the way Shubman batted, if someone removed the pressure from Rohit Sharma, it was Shubman Gill. He played exceptional shots - towards mid-off, over the bowler's head and then the cover drive. We got to see all types of shots and this was Shubman's class."

Gill struck 10 fours during his innings. The stylish opener struck three boundaries each in Afridi's second and third overs to virtually force Babar Azam to take the left-arm seamer out of the attack.

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"It shows how differently Shubman Gill batted" - Gautam Gambhir on the youngster being the dominant partner initially

Rohit Sharma and Shubman added 121 runs for the first wicket. [P/C: AP]

While observing that Shubman Gill was the initial aggressor, Gautam Gambhir praised Rohit Sharma for playing Naseem Shah cautiously. He stated:

"At one stage, Shubman Gill was on 45 and Rohit Sharma was on 15 or 16. It shows how differently Shubman Gill batted. No doubt Rohit Sharma played Naseem Shah extremely well because considering the exceptional spell he was bowling, some other batter could have been nicked off had he tried to attack him."

The cricketer-turned-commentator appreciated the Indian skipper for bringing his experience to the fore. He explained:

"So this is also experience, that who is bowling well and whom you need to see off. I remember Rohit Sharma leaving the last ball off Naseem Shah's fifth over after hitting two fours because he knew it was the last ball of his spell. If he had gotten out to that ball, the next batter might have been under greater pressure."

Gambhir also praised Gill for not being in two minds whenever he looked to attack. While acknowledging that the opener got a couple of chances, he pointed out that he never went into survival mode.