"Almost looked like he changed things up too much" - Ricky Ponting dissects Team India batter's struggles in BGT 2024-25

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has analyzed Shubman Gill's struggles in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar series Down Under, claiming that the numbers hardly match up to how well he looks at the crease. Ponting recalled Gill's guard in Adelaide, opining that he has changed things up too much.

The youngster missed the first Test but returned for the next two, replacing Devdutt Padikkal in the line-up. He got starts in both innings in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide but failed to make a big score. Gill also perished for a single-figure score in his only innings in Brisbane after driving loosely outside off-stump off Mitchell Starc.

Speaking on the latest episode of the ICC Review, Ponting opined that Gill moving across to the off-stump in the first innings in Adelaide made him vulnerable to Scott Boland. He said:

"I love watching him play. When you're watching him bat and bat well, he looks as good as anyone in world cricket. But the numbers don't really stack up, do they, away from home? I watched him a little bit in Adelaide and it almost looked like he changed things up too much. Scott Boland was bowling and he changed his guard, he moved across to the off stump, presented his front pad to Boland, and Boland got him out with a full straight one."

The 25-year-old enjoyed a stellar tour of Australia in 2020-21, making his Test debut in Melbourne. He made 45 and 35 on debut and peeled off a series-defining 91 in the fourth innings in Brisbane.

"If anything, I think he needs to back himself a little bit more" - Ricky Ponting on Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill. (Image Credits: Getty)

Ponting said Gill needed to get into the mindset of scoring runs instead of thinking of getting out, adding in the same discussion:

"If anything, I think he needs to back himself a little bit more, needs to back his defensive technique a little bit more here in Australia and still find a way to be able to score and score quickly. I'm sure when he's at home or when he's generally scored runs anywhere around the world, he scores them in a nice, attacking mode and almost to the point where he's not really thinking about getting out - he's only thinking about scoring runs."

The five-Test series is currently locked at 1-1 after India won in Perth and Australia bounced back with a 10-wicket victory in Adelaide. The third Test in Brisbane resulted in a draw majorly due to rain.