"He has got cushion that Pujara didn't get": Kumble's taken on Gill's test performances

Former India captain Anil Kumble feels that Shubman Gill who is currently struggling with his form in tests has been given the kind of cushion that veteran Cheteshwar Pujara never got and the young batter needs to make it count in the second Test against England or risk being under tremendous pressureShubman Gill has not been able to score even a single halfcentury in his last 11 test innings The last time he scored a century was against Australia in Ahmedabad in March last year After that his highest score is just 36 runsAlso ReadShamar Joseph Bowler behind the rise of West IndiesIn the recent first test match against England he scored 23 in the first and 0 in the second innings of the match India lost the match by 28 runs He Gill has been given the cushion perhaps even a Cheteshwar Pujara didnt get although he Pujara has played over 100 Tests Kumble said on JioCinemaI 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 its been Shubman Gill whos been moving from the openers slot and he himself wanted to bat at No 3The 36yearold Pujara last played a Test in June 2023 the World Test Championship final against Australia and he was ignored after that He scored a double hundred 243 not out in a Ranji match earlier this month Skipper Rohit Sharma before the start of the England series stated that younger players were being preferred in a bid to look ahead in Indian cricketBefore the start of the test series against England skipper Rohit Sharma stated that young players are preferred in a bid look in Indian cricketAlso Read Donrsquot write off Djokovic just yetKumble said the youngster needs to work on his mindset and also adjust his technique slightly for the second Test starting February 2So 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 hes learning but he needs to do it in Vizag in second Test otherwise the pressure will be on him he observedHe needs to be a lot freer score runs He needs to come up with his own plan to tackle spin because he has hard handsIts 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 its slow you need to use your hands and control and check your shots Thats something he needs to work on It cant be one flow all the timeBut can Gill change his skill sets just four days before the next TestI think its 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 outIndian batters are known for playing spin better than others but they were outwitted by England in the first Test here Kumble advised the Indians to think out of the box in the remaining matchesIndia certainly need to buckle up with their approach to playing against spin because I felt the approach of a couple of batters wasnt positive and even the footwork wasnt what you expectedI 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 saidKumble also spoke on wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadavs chances of making it to the playing XI in 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 saidWith PTI Inputs