It's a different ball game: Shubman Gill looks to move on from IPL success to WTC final against Australia
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hubman Gill, an emerging India star, is well aware of the fact that he would need to be at the top of his game during the ICC World Test Championship final against Australia and replicate his Indian Premier League (IPL) performance during the title clash, which he opines is a different scenario and a different ball game, reported ICC on Monday.
Gill was in brilliant form for the Gujarat Titans in the IPL this year, slamming three hundreds and four fifties and finishing as the tournament's highest run-scorer with 890 runs at an average just shy of 60.
Gill's blockbuster IPL season follows his record-breaking ODI double-century against New Zealand in January, and he is emerging as India's new face in all three forms. He has notched 980 runs in 17 international matches with five centuries and a fifty.
Gill's present emphasis is on helping India go one step ahead than in 2021 and win their first World Test Championship Final this week at The Oval, and the confident young hitter understands he needs to move on from his blockbuster IPL season and adjust swiftly to playing in neutral English conditions, which favour swing and seam.
"It does give you a bit of confidence (from the IPL), but I feel this is a completely different scenario and a completely different game," Gill told the ICC at The Oval on Sunday.
"But that is the fun about it. Last week we were playing something completely different with a different atmosphere and that is the challenge and that is what is exciting about Test cricket," added Gill.
Gill was a member of India's team that lost the inaugural World Test Championship Final against New Zealand, with the elegant batsman scoring 28 and eight as the Black Caps won by eight wickets in Southampton.
India have the opportunity to atone for that setback in London this week, and Gill stated that his team had learned a lot from the sad loss to the Kiwis.
"We have been talking about some of the things we have learnt as a team and especially as a batting group from playing that match," he said.
"Hopefully we will be able to overcome the mistakes we made last time."
Cheteshwar Pujara, India's experienced No.3 batter, has to play a major role in the final if he wants his side to win and the veteran feels his team is incredibly well prepared for the game.
While the majority of his colleagues were away with their various clubs in the IPL, Pujara was busy getting used to English conditions with another stint with Sussex in England's County Championship's second tier. During his stay with the County, Pujara scored three hundreds and amassed 545 runs from eight innings, and the 35-year-old expects to be able to carry that form into the match against Australia.
"We have had very good preparation so hopefully this time we will cross the line," Pujara told the ICC.
"Most of the guys have played enough cricket here and some of them have played County cricket too. And you need that experience...we know each other's strengths and we have played a lot of cricket against Australia as well so we know what to expect from the opposition team," concluded Pujara.
Australia ended at the top of the WTC table with 11 wins, three losses, five draws in 19 matches whereas India ended in second position with 10 wins, five losses and three draws.
India's squad for WTC final Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Ishan Kishan (wk).
Suryakumar Yadav, Mukesh Kumar and Yashasvi Jaiswal have been named as stand-by players for the high-stakes match.
Australia squad Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, David Warner
Standby players Mitch Marsh, and Matthew Renshaw.
✔️ It's a different ball game: Shubman Gill looks to move on from IPL success to WTC final against Australia
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