Shubman Gill to bat at 4 in Tests? Ponting opines
What's the story
Former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting has advised India's new Test skipper, Shubman Gill, to bat at Number 4 in the upcoming five-match Test series against England, starting June 20.
Ponting believes that this strategic move could help ease some of the pressure off Gill as he takes on his new leadership role.
This comes after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from Test cricket, leaving a void in India's Test line-up.
Captaincy challenges
Concerns over Gill's Test batting
Ponting, who was the head coach of runners-up Punjab Kings in IPL 2025, expressed his concerns over Gill's Test batting.
He said, "His white-ball form has been incredibly good. But he's got a little bit of work to do on his Test match batting."
The Australian legend added that it "won't be easy" for a new captain like Gill to focus on his own batting while leading the team.
Strategic move
Gill likely to take over Kohli's slot?
Gill started his Test journey as an opener, partnering Rohit Sharma. However, with Yashasvi Jaiswal coming in, he moved to Number 3.
Kohli's exit could now demote Gill to Number 4. For nearly three decades, the position has been safeguarded by Sachin Tendulkar and then Kohli.
As per Ponting, if Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan open for India, either KL Rahul or Karun Nair could bat at 3.
This willl allow Gill more time to prepare.
Future prospects
Ponting optimistic about Gill's leadership potential
Despite the challenges, Ponting is confident about Gill's long-term leadership potential.
"He just seems the sort of guy that the extra responsibility wouldn't faze too much. He's got a really level head on his shoulders," said Ponting.
He also analyzed Gill's weaknesses in Test cricket such as his hard-handed approach and occasional lapses in concentration during innings.
Mental focus
Ponting on Gill's mental application
Ponting stressed on Gill's mental application rather than technical flaws in his defense.
He said, "There's nothing wrong technically. But sometimes, he might get ahead of himself or a little lazy during an innings."
Drawing parallels with former opener Virender Sehwag, Ponting said some great Test players didn't have great defensive games but were still in control of their strokeplay.
Career
A look at his Test career
At just 25, Gill is among the youngest players to be appointed India's Test captain in recent times.
Despite his lack of experience in leading red-ball cricket teams, he captained India in a five-match T20I series in Zimbabwe last year.
Gill also led Gujarat Titans to the IPL 2025 playoffs.
In his short Test career, he has played 32 matches, scoring a total of 1,893 runs at at 35.05 including five centuries.