New Delhi, July 9 (IANS) Former England batter Mark Ramprakash has praised India Test captain Shubman Gill for his classic batting technique and being adaptable across formats, saying that he has shown the potential to fill in the boots of ‘Fab Four’ — Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson — era batters.

After amassing scores of 147 and 8 in Leeds, Gill smashed gigantic scores of 269 and 161 to be at the forefront of a thumping 336-run win for India in Birmingham. Ahead of the third Test at Lord’s starting on Thursday, Gill has reached 585 runs in the five-match series and is primed to score more at the iconic venue.

“We have to pay testament to his stamina, his skill and his hunger – not just for runs, but to set an example as the new captain of a young team. Captaincy can affect a player’s form detrimentally, but it seems to have focused him and his three highest Test scores have been made in the past three weeks.

“We are coming to the end of a period that has been dominated by the so-called Fab Four – Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson – and the search has been on for players who can take over. Gill has shown he can fill those boots and in a wonderfully orthodox style: he plays all formats and is brilliantly adaptable, but with a foundation of classic technique,” wrote Ramprakash for The Guardian on Wednesday.

Ramprakash, who played 52 Tests for England from 1991 to 2002 and later served as their batting coach, also feels England opting to bowl first twice has led to Gill getting the first crack at making big runs and urged the Ben Stokes-led side to think of fresh ideas for dismissing the in-form right-handed batter.

“He was given the opportunity to dictate the game because England chose to bowl first. The opportunity to stretch and tire opponents and then benefit from scoreboard pressure and fatigue, as well as the opportunity to bowl on a possibly deteriorating pitch towards the end of the game, is why people win the toss and bat.

“England will be reflecting on that decision as they consider ways of reducing Gill’s impact on the remainder of the series. Gill is used to the cast of bowlers England used in the first two matches, he knows their plans, their trajectories, their variations their pace.

“If fatigue was not already going to force Ben Stokes to change his bowling group, the need to find fresh ways to challenge the India captain would have done it anyway. As well as India bowled with the new ball, it was Gill’s remorselessness that created the conditions for it to happen,” he concluded.

–IANS

nr/bc