‘Young Shubman Gill Lazy With Footwork…But Cheteshwar Pujara…’: Ravi Shastri’s Blunt Take On Star’s Dismissal | Cricket News

Veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara had a great opportunity to carry forward his County Championship form into the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia. However, Pujara (14) not only failed to score big runs but also gifted his wicket by leaving Cameron Green’s delivery, which rattled his stumps in the first innings on Day 2. Young opening batter Shubman Gill, who had set the stage on fire during the recently concluded Indian Premier League, was also dismissed in a similar fashion by Scott Boland.

Comparing both dismissals, Shastri tore into Pujara for leaving the ball, adding that Gill was ‘lazy’ but will improve with time and experience.

“We talk about leaving the ball in England and we always talk about knowing where your off stump is. This is not knowing where your off stump is. See, Shubman Gill being a little lazy with his footwork. He will learn; he is still young, but Pujara will be very disappointing seeing that. It should have been a little further towards the ball and across the line of the ball. That’s why they keep telling you – know where your off stump is,” added the former India coach,” Shastri said on-air.

Shastri further slammed Pujara for leaving his off-stump exposed, calling it as “an error in judgment”.

“That is leaving it poorly because the front foot has just gone across. It should be going towards the ball; he was looking to play it and then decided whether he should leave it. You see, the way he is leaving it, the off-stump is exposed. The front foot is still middle stump when it’s actually going towards off stump. Watch that front foot. It should be further across and towards the ball. He thought it was outside the off stump. It was an error in judgment,” he added.

In reply to Australia’s first inning total of 469, India were 151/5 at stumps on Day 2 and trail by 318 runs.