"Once I saw the pitch, I said Gill will hit" - Aakash Chopra on Shubman Gill making the most of a flat pitch in 4th India vs West Indies T20I

Aakash Chopra has lauded Shubman Gill for making the most of a placid pitch in the fourth T20I between India and the West Indies.

The Windies set India a 179-run target after opting to bat first in Lauderhill, Florida, on Saturday, August 12. Gill then scored a 47-ball 77 to help Hardik Pandya and Co. register a nine-wicket win with three overs to spare and draw level in the five-match series.

While reviewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra highlighted that he predicted Gill to be among the runs once he saw the pitch. He stated:

"We reached Florida and got an absolutely flat pitch and in such a case - 'Gill hai ki manta nahin', you get a feeling like that when you see Gill on such pitches. It was a slightly Ahmedabad-like feel. Once I saw the pitch, I said Gill will hit and he did that."

Citing James Anderson's example, the former Indian opener pointed out that players need to make the most of favorable conditions. He explained:

"You might think what is the big deal in scoring runs on a flat pitch. There is a small caveat in that. Assume it is a green-top pitch and if you get James Anderson and any other bowler to bowl on such a pitch, James Anderson will ensure that he picks up a five-wicket haul."

While giving a few other examples, Chopra observed that Gill has similar traits. He elaborated:

"Whenever you will give a turning pitch to Anil Kumble, he will pick up a 10-wicket haul and win you the match. Give Ravichandran Ashwin a pitch to his liking, he will just run through the opposition. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli score a lot of runs when the pitch is to their liking. Shubman Gill also has that trait."

Gill smashed three fours and five sixes during his innings. He added 165 runs for the first wicket with Yashasvi Jaiswal (84* off 51) in just 15.3 overs to all but seal the match for the Men in Blue.

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"Important runs because the truth is that the stats were not looking very good" - Aakash Chopra on Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill was caught in the deep while trying to play a big shot.

Aakash Chopra highlighted that it was a welcome return to form for Shubman Gill. He said:

"He started slowly, wasn't too aggressive. Then he saw an over from Odean Smith, realized he is a bowler to his liking, and ran after him. Then he was farming the strike. Important runs because the truth is that the stats were not looking very good."

Gill managed only 16 runs in his three previous hits in the T20I series against the Windies. His half-century on Saturday was also just the second time he reached the 50-run mark in his 10 innings in T20I cricket.