Vivek Razdan explains why Shubman Gill is similar to Sachin Tendulkar

Former India fast bowler Vivek Razdan has made a bold claim, comparing Shubman Gill to Sachin Tendulkar. The commentator noted that Shubman Gill’s temperament at a young age is similar to that of Sachin Tendulkar during his initial years.

Shubman Gill has been the major talking point ever since he made his debut in Australia. The opener amassed 259 runs in six innings, with his average of 51.80 the highest among openers in the series.

Speaking to Indranil Basu on SK Live, Vivek Razdan shared an anecdote from Sachin Tendulkar’s early years to explain why Shubman Gill has the same traits as the legendary batsman.

“At that moment it was clear Sachin Tendulkar is in a different league. He is not a normal player. His thinking at 16 was way ahead of his years. That’s the case with Shubman Gill as well. He’s 21 but his simplicity, poise and mental toughness are beyond his years. You don’t look at a player’s age in cricket, you look at how mature his thinking is,” Razdan said on Wednesday.

Talking about Sachin Tendulkar’s debut series against Pakistan, Vivek Razdan mentioned how the youngster displayed a courage that was beyond his years that tour. He continued:

“Sachin Tendulkar was just 16-year-old kid when he toured Pakistan in 1989. But his thinking even then was 5-6 years ahead of him. Sachin got hit on the nose during the Sialkot Test. Despite a bleeding nose, he refused to leave the field. Because his team and his country needed him to stay in the middle.”

Praising Sachin Tendulkar for the fight he showed that day, Vivek Razdan reminisced how he took on the challenge of facing Pakistan’s fiery pace attack in 1989.

“That was the first time Sachin Tendulkar left his family and it’s important to acknowledge his passion for the game. He wanted to save the Test and asked the staff to tend to his bleeding nose. The next few overs he hooked and pulled bowlers like Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram,” Razdan added.

Razdan backs Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma to shine against England

The Gill-Rohit combination could be deadly in Tests

Previewing the upcoming India-England Test series, Vivek Razdan was confident that India have found a solid opening pair in Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma.

“Rohit Sharma’s performance in Tests has been great in India. Shubman Gill’s emergence is great news as well. Everyone makes runs, but the way they do it is important too. He has a clean technique at the top of the order, which are good signs for Indian cricket,” Razdan said.

Continuing his praise for the youngster, Vivek Razdan pointed out that Gill’s demeanour impressed him in Australia.

The famous commentator predicted that the Indian openers will pile on the runs against England, giving their bowlers a headache.

“His temperament in Australia was commendable too. Several times Australian bowlers tried to sledge him, but he calmly went about his business and kept his focus. I expect Rohit and Shubman to perform even better on Indian pitches. If they can give a good start, it could spell trouble for England,” the 51-year-old added.