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Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt reserved high praise for Shubman Gill after the Team India batter struck a fine half-century in the 1st ODI of the West Indies series on Friday (July 22).
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Butt stated that Gill's impressive knock was the highlight of the contest for him. He pointed out how the right-hander has an element of lazy elegance with the way he times the ball. Butt stated:
"The highlight of the match for me was the way Shubman Gill batted. He played very beautifully. It seems like he has a lot of time, and there is also a lazy elegance. He times the ball so well that it appears as if he is doing it in the action replay."
Gill, who played in his first ODI since December of 2020, dazzled fans with his strokeplay during his 64-run knock. Gill's sloppy running between the wickets was the cause of his undoing, as the 22-year-old was run out in the 18th over of India's innings.
"When you're playing so well, there shouldn't be such laziness" - Salman Butt on Shubman Gill's dismissal
Butt suggested that Shubman Gill shouldn't have been lazy with his running, especially when he was in such supreme touch. The ex-cricketer reckoned that the talented youngster could have crossed the 100-run mark if he hadn't made the error.
Butt pointed out that the batter had a lot of time to complete the run. However, he opined that Gill might not have expected the fielder to throw the ball at his end and added:
"Shubman Gill wasn't unlucky with the way he got out. He was lazy. He had a lot of time and should have run faster. However, he was very casual and assumed that the fielder wouldn't go for the throw. When you're playing so well, there shouldn't be such laziness. It cost him a hundred and probably cost India another 50 runs."
India managed to secure a thrilling 3-run victory in the encounter to go 1-0 up in the three-match series. The two sides will battle it out in the second fixture on Sunday (July 24) at Queen's Park Oval.
