"Shubman Gill will have to figure out why he is getting hit on the pad repeatedly" - Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra has said that Shubman Gill will have to address the issue of repeatedly getting struck on the pads in front of the stumps.

The Indian opener was dismissed LBW by James Anderson in India's first innings of the final Test in Ahmedabad before he could open his account. He was also caught plumb in front while shouldering arms to Olly Stone in the first innings of the second Test in Chennai.

Jimmy Anderson strikes on the third ball 🔥Shubman Gill is lbw for nought!#INDvENG | https://t.co/6OuUwURcgX pic.twitter.com/W8hH0Df2SH

— ICC (@ICC) March 4, 2021

During a discussion on Star Sports, Aakash Chopra pointed out that Shubman Gill will have to find a solution to this problem quickly.

"The thing is that there should not be a pattern. Shubman Gill will have to figure out why he is getting hit on the pad repeatedly. This is the sort of pitch where you back yourself as an opener. There is no sideways movement, but this has became a slight area of concern," said Chopra.

The former Indian opener highlighted that Shubman Gill has moved his guard to off-stump, which has made him more vulnerable to be caught in front of the wickets.

"He stays a little beside the ball, and here to cover that he stood on off-stump. When you start doing that, you expose your left leg a little. Olly Stone did that, and Jimmy Anderson did here as well," added Chopra.

---

"Shubman Gill will be feeling a little bit of pressure now" - Aakash Chopra

Shubman Gill has scored just a solitary half-century in the series.

Aakash Chopra added that Shubman Gill cannot afford too many more failures, as the likes of Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul are waiting in the wings.

"Test cricket is an amazing thing because three matches ago we were saying that he is an amazing player and how well he plays. He will be feeling a little bit of pressure now. He will have to score runs now because after this it is the WTC final; he doesn't play the other formats. If he does well in the WTC final, he will get chances else, Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul are waiting," observed Chopra.

While acknowledging Shubman Gill may not get too many chances, the 43-year-old Aakash Chopra is optimistic about the youngster rectifying his technical glitches.

"So, when there is such a close competition with so many people fighting for a position, you do not get too long a rope. I really hope that he plays with a straighter bat in the next innings. There could be a slight issue in the technique, but he is very young and he will surely improve," concluded Chopra.

Shubman Gill has scored just 119 runs at a below-par average of 19.83 in the seven knocks he has played in the ongoing four-match series against England.

While the surfaces have not been easy to bat on, and there is no doubting Shubman Gill's imperious talent, the 21-year-old will have to come up with substantial knocks to retain his place at the top of the order.

Shubman Gill's Test Average:-Away: 51.8Home: 19.8#INDvENG

— ComeOn Cricket 🏏🇮🇳 (@ComeOnCricket) March 4, 2021