“You saw him struggling even in those eight runs” - Aakash Chopra opens up on Shubman Gill’s 28-run knock in third T20I

Former Indian cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra has opened up on the Indian T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill’s struggling knock in the third T20I of the ongoing five-match series against South Africa in Dhamrasala on Sunday, December 14.

Speaking exclusively on Star Sports, Chopra asserted that Gill’s knock was a tale of two halves, adding that while he scored his first 20 runs off 12 balls, he took 16 more balls to score the next eight runs before getting out for 28 runs off 28 balls.

"A tale of two halves, although it was only a small knock. It's not like he scored a hundred. He scored only 28 runs and played 28 balls. It seemed like he was in great rhythm when he started. He hit both front-foot and back-foot shots. A typical Shubman Gill knock was seen," Aakash Chopra told Star Sports.

"He had scored 20 runs off 12 balls. Only eight runs were scored off the next 16 balls, and you saw him struggling even in those eight runs. It seemed like he was giving practice to slip off Nortje's bowling. Every ball was going in that direction. I am slightly split whether the glass is half full or is still half empty," he added.

Furthermore, the former Indian opener reckoned that a fifty under Gill’s name would have been more beneficial. However, Chopra emphasized that Gill would be confident enough to score big in the fourth T20I in Lucknow.

"I am slightly greedy. I felt you had played 28 balls, and there was no scoreboard pressure, and if you score 50 off 40-45 balls, it is still okay because a fifty will be against your name. Now, you have got the confidence of 28 balls, but a fifty has still not come," he stated.

"He had scored 45 one day earlier as well. He scored 35 one day as well. Now the expectation is that he will go to Lucknow with the confidence of the time he has spent here, but I still feel you had a chance to make it slightly bigger and make his knock longer. Shubman has missed that opportunity today as well," the former Indian opener concluded

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