“There were a lot of questions raised” - Ex-Indian batter backs Shubman Gill to score big in fifth Test

Former Indian keeper-batter Parthiv Patel has backed the newly appointed Indian Test captain Shubman Gill to come out well in the fifth and final Test of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at the Oval in London, scheduled to start on Thursday, July 31.

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Notably, Gill is currently leading the run-scoring charts in the ongoing five-match Test series, smacking 722 runs from eight innings at an average of 90.25 with four centuries in as many games. 

Parthiv, during his conversation on Star Sports, stated that Gill would be subjected to criticism if he underperforms in the series-deciding Test at the Oval. Notably, Gill received a lot of flak after his couple of poor dismissals at Lord’s despite scoring centuries in the previous Tests of the tour.

“Everyone would want him to maintain the kind of form he has shown. There were a lot of questions raised earlier in this series- about his struggles in overseas conditions, where he wasn’t getting runs or converting starts. But he has answered all those questions brilliantly. Hopefully, he continues this momentum,” Parthiv Patel told Star Sports.

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“Even before this fifth Test match, people were talking, and that too after he had already scored 700 runs in the series. One bad Test at Lord’s, and questions started coming up again. So, I really hope Shubman Gill delivers another big contribution in this crucial final Test,” he added.

While Gill started the Leeds Test with a 147-run knock, he went on to score 269 and 161 in the Birmingham Test to propel India to a 336-run win. Later, he failed to create an impact in the Lord's Test, returning with scores of 16 & 6. However, he made a strong comeback in the Manchester Test, hitting 103 runs.

With his four centuries in an away Test series, Gill emerged as the second Indian captain after Sunil Gavaskar to achieve this rare feat.

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