Shubman Gill recorded yet another disappointing performance in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, struggling in the first innings of the Brisbane Test. The promising young batsman was dismissed for a mere 1 run by Mitchell Starc in the third over. Gill's dismissal came while attempting an extravagant drive on a delivery that was well outside the off-stump. This poor shot selection at a critical moment in the match drew significant criticism from both fans and analysts.

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra highlighted Gill's concerning statistics in Test matches played outside Asia, which raises alarms for the Indian team.

"We need to address Shubman Gill's situation. He has played 16 innings without surpassing 40 runs outside Asia. He has frequently been dismissed for single digits or early double digits. If your performance is like this while batting at No. 3 for Team India in Test cricket, it poses a significant issue that warrants discussion," Chopra remarked on his YouTube channel.

While Shubman played a pivotal role in India's memorable victory at the Gabba during the 2020-21 tour with a score of 91, he has since struggled to reach a half-century in Tests outside Asia. In the eight Tests since that time, he has accumulated only 200 runs, with a highest score of 36.

'It's a symptomatic problem of the entire playing style'

Chopra noted that Shubman displayed commendable form during the Adelaide Test, suggesting that the issue may be indicative of a broader problem, particularly in light of the other dismissals on Day 3 of the third Test.

"He performed well in the previous match. The issue is not isolated to Gill; it reflects a symptomatic concern regarding the overall playing approach. Yashasvi Jaiswal aggressively drove the first ball. While he may consider himself unfortunate that his shot found a fielder on the second ball, the first ball could have easily resulted in a catch at gully," he remarked.

The former cricketer and commentator pointed out that Shubman has a propensity for playing expansive drives, which inherently carries a significant risk of being caught, as was evident on Monday.

"Shubman Gill arrived and executed a powerful drive. When successful, it appears impressive, but there is a considerable likelihood of it resulting in a catch behind the wickets. Players become so accustomed to playing aggressively that they hesitate to rein in their instincts," he explained.

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