Shubman Gill has got the cushion that Cheteshwar Pujara didn't get: Anil Kumble

Anil Kumble feels Shubman Gill has been given more of a “cushion” that wasn’t accorded to veteran Cheteshwar Pujara and the young batter needs to make it count in the second Test against England. Failing which, he will attract further pressure having played 21 Test matches.

Gill, 24, has not scored a half century in his last 11 Test innings. His last big score was a 128 run knock in India’s first innings against visiting Australia in March last year. Ever since, his highest score has been 36. He made 23 and 0 in the two innings of the first Test against England, which India lost by 28 runs on Sunday.

“He (Gill) has been given the cushion perhaps even a Cheteshwar Pujara didn’t get, although he (Pujara) has played over a 100 Tests,” Kumble said on JioCinema.

“I keep coming back to him (Pujara) mainly because that was his place (No. 3) not too long ago. Pujara played in that World Test Championship final and post that, it’s been Shubman Gill, who’s been moving from the opener’s slot, and he himself wanted to bat at No. 3.”

Pujara, 36, last played a Test in June 2023 — the World Test Championship final against Australia — and has been ignored after that. He scored a double hundred (243 not out) in a Ranji Trophy match earlier this month.

However, the odds of him, and Ajinkya Rahane, coming into the side look slim. Before the start of the England series, captain Rohit Sharma stated that younger players were being preferred in a bid to look ahead in Indian cricket.

Kumble said the youngster needs to work on his mindset and also adjust his technique for the second Test starting 2 February.

“So, when you want to bat at No. 3 especially in India because you have that talent, you certainly need to work on your game. He has the skills, he is young and he’s learning, but he needs to do it in Vizag (in second Test), otherwise the pressure will be on him,” he observed.

“He needs to be a lot freer, score runs. He needs to come up with his own plan to tackle spin, because he has hard hands.

“It’s good for good surfaces where the ball is coming on nicely and the faster bowlers are bowling at you. But when the ball is turning, when it’s slow, you need to use your hands and control and check your shots. That’s something he needs to work on. It can’t be one flow all the time.”

But can Gill change his skillset just four days before the next Test? “I think it’s all the mindset. You can certainly work on your mindset, and you have the best possible person as the coach (Rahul Dravid) to manage that for Shubman Gill,” he pointed out.

Indian batters were outwitted in the first Test in Hyderabad. Kumble advised the Indian cricket team to think out of the box in the remaining matches.

“India certainly need to buckle up with their approach to playing against spin because I felt the approach of a couple of batters wasn’t positive and even the footwork wasn’t what you expected.

“I also felt that they were certainly rattled by the way England approached their batting and with that, they have to come up with plans, some unconventional ones,” he said.

India played the first Test with three spinners – Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin and Axar Patel. Kuldeep Yadav was left out to favour Axar’s batting skills. Kumble spoke on wrist spinner Kuldeep’s chances of making it to the playing XI for the second Test. “I am not really sure whether you need a fourth spinner. But if India feel that they need only one fast bowler, then having Kuldeep will certainly help. He will have variations but England will come and do the same things they did in Hyderabad,” he said.