Ricky Ponting knows a thing or two about batting swagger. A thing or two about class and attitude while being the middle.
So it is only understandable that he gets Shubman Gill, the big batting name in 2023 so far, and a name the former Australia captain thinks will be a cause of concern for the Pat Cummins-led side in the upcoming World Test Championship Final starting June 7 at The Oval.
“He looks like a terrific young guy,” Ponting told ICC. “He’s got that bit of attitude about him as well. He’s got a bit of swagger. He has some serious class.”
“That sort of front foot pull shot that he plays against the fast bowlers will be a shot that he’ll probably need against this Australian attack,” the former Australia skipper added on Gill’s shot making repertoire.
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So far in the calendar year, Gill has amassed 980 runs for India across formats. That includes a double century in ODIs, a maiden T20I hundred and a second triple figure score in Test cricket.
In IPL 2023, Gill was the leading run scorer with 890 runs under his belt that comprised of four fifties and three hundreds.
India and Australia will contest in the second World Test Championship Final. The Rohit Sharma-led side qualified for the 2023 World Test Championship Final second on the points table with 127 points and 58.8 Points Percentage System (PCT). While they lost the series in South Africa and drew a five-match series in England, India enjoyed a near perfect record at home with wins against New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Australia and another away series triumph in Bangladesh.
Australia on the other hand, qualified top of the table with wins in all three home series during the 2021/23 cycle including a 4-0 Ashes thumping. Other than this, the Pat Cummins-led side registered a 1-0 in Pakistan and a 1-1 draw in Sri Lanka before losing 2-1 in India.