After India lost to South Africa in New Chandigarh by 51 runs, Gautam Gambhir’s former KKR teammate questioned him for constantly dropping Sanju Samson for Shubman Gill in the Playing XI. Here’s what he said.
Robin Uthappa questions Gautam Gambhir
Team India lost the second T20I match against South Africa in New Chandigarh on Thursday due to the failure of the batting lineup. After this loss, cricket experts and former Indian cricketers questioned head coach Gautam Gambhir for constantly juggling the batting lineup and dropping key players from the Playing XI.
Robin Uthappa, Gambhir’s former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) teammate, too called him out for sidelining wicketkeeper batter Sanju Samson for Shubman Gill. In last night’s match, Gill was dismissed for a duck on the first ball he faced, which brought Team India on the backfoot while chasing a mammoth target. For those unversed, it has been nearly 20 innings since Gill played a 50+ knock in the format.
Speaking on Star Sports, Robin Uthappa questioned dropping Samson for Gill and said, ”I beg the question: what did the partnership of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson do so grossly wrong that they had to be replaced? I understand Surya in the pre-series conference, where he said Shubman has actually been in the T20 squad before Sanju got his opportunity. But when Sanju did get his opportunity, he got three hundreds. He was the first guy among the youngsters here to get hundreds in T20 cricket.”
”It was after that when Abhishek got it, and after that when Tilak actually got it. So he perhaps even inspired the guys and challenged them, because at that point, they were figuring out who was going to be the next opener for India in T20 cricket. So you have a proven opener, who’s averaging just below Abhishek Sharma at this point, and you decided to move him to the middle order and then slowly leave him out. What wrong has he done? is my question. He deserves to have that opportunity,” he added.
”It’s not working for Shubman at this point, because I also think he’s trying different things. I think he’s trying initially to go toe-to-toe at the same pace that Abhishek is going — that is not how he bats. That is not how he’s been successful in T20 cricket. How he has been successful is by taking that time, those first 10 balls, absorbing the pressure, getting in, and then once he reaches 15–20 balls, I don’t think there is a batter like Shubman Gill until he gets himself out. That’s the kind of batter he is. And I think that’s what works for him in T20 cricket,” he further said.
Meanwhile, India and South Africa will face each other next in Dharamsala on Sunday, December 14.
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