India’s batting coach, Vikram Rathour, has expressed confidence in the abilities of Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, assuring that the under-fire duo will soon start scoring big runs in Test cricket. As both players faced a rough patch in the recent Hyderabad Test against England, Rathour remains positive about their resurgence ahead of the second Test in Vizag on February 2.
Shubman Gill has been struggling since moving to the number three spot. He even failed to make a significant impact in the recent Hyderabad Test, scoring 23 and 0 across two innings. His last noteworthy performance dates back to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the beginning of the previous year. On the other hand, Iyer, making his return during the South Africa series, is yet to register a fifty since rejoining the side.
Despite the pressure mounting on both players, Rathour has thrown his support behind them, emphasizing that a dip in form is a normal part of a player’s journey. The batting coach spoke about their preparations for the upcoming matches during a press conference on Wednesday.
“There is no question about their ability. They are both very, very fine players. People go through bad forms, and bad patches where you don’t score as many runs as you want to. The thing we are looking at is how they are preparing and how their mindsets are,” he said.
Highlighting the commitment and hard work put in by Gill and Iyer in the nets, Rathour expressed confidence that both players are on the verge of delivering significant performances.
“They are putting in strong efforts during practice, working hard in the nets, engaging in meaningful conversations. It’s just a matter of time, and I am confident that both of them will deliver a standout performance,” he added.
As Rathour remains optimistic about Gill and Iyer’s imminent return to form, all eyes will be on the second Test in Vizag to see if the under-fire stars can live up to the expectations and silence their critics with noteworthy contributions with the bat.
Vikram Rathour feels it to be challenging to pick just one player for the second Test
Following the first Test that ended in a 28-run defeat, Team India further encountered setbacks. Ravindra Jadeja who top scored with the bat and KL Rahul have been ruled out of the second Test due to injury. Virat Kohli’s absence due to personal reasons has also added to the woes.
Selectors have brought in uncapped players like Sarfaraz Khan and Sourabh Kumar to the team. Talented batter Rajat Patidar and all-rounder Washington Sundar has also earned a place in the squad. The decision to play which player in the team is challenging feels batting coach Vikram Rathour.
“It’s a challenging decision. Considering the excellent skills they possess, they add significant value to the team. We’ve witnessed their outstanding performances in recent years,” Rathour said.
“On these wickets, they can contribute significantly to the team. Choosing just one of them would be difficult, but that decision rests with Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma,” he added.
The playing XI for the second Test would be finalized only after assessing the playing conditions.
“The pitch is unpredictable. It might not turn from the first day, but eventually, it will. That’s the impression we get from the wicket,” he concluded.
Team India have slipped to the fifth position on the World Test Championship(WTC) points table and will be eager to make a comeback at the Dr. Y. S. Rajashekar Reddy ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium in Vishakapatnam.