The confidence of debutant Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj, in the second Test match against Australia, has left everyone in awe. Both the players showcased their mettle and earned the praise from all the former cricketers, critics and fans. Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has also heaped praise on the duo and stated that the Indian Premier League (IPL) has played a huge role in instilling confidence in them to play a fearless brand of cricket.
Shubman Gill replaced out-of-form Prithvi Shaw in MCG Test and went on to score 45 runs and an unbeaten 35 in the two innings respectively. On the other hand, Mohammed Siraj got the chance after Mohammed Shami’s ouster due to injury. The pacer, who has impressive stats in first-class, notched five wickets and never let the opposition felt the dearth of the premier pacer.
IPL has made complex factor disappears very quickly: Ravi Shastri
Ravi Shastri said that Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj were confident in the field because they have shared the fields with top-notch international cricketers during the IPL.
“That’s the way, that’s the brand of cricket we’ve been playing for the last three or four years,” Shastri said.
“I think a lot has to do with IPL. The fact that they share dressing rooms with international players, they rub shoulders with the best, that complex factor disappears very quickly.”
Ravi Shastri said that the youngster could have got intimidated in the second innings but he played his natural game and backed his skill.
“In the second innings, it’s very easy to get into a shell but he went out there and played his natural game. It was great from the team point of view,” the coach added.
After a disheartening defeat in the first Test, India bounced back stronger in the second Test. Under the guidance of Ajinkya Rahane, the team showed calmness and grit to win that match. Now, they will move Sydney to play the third Test, scheduled to begin on January 7.