Ricky Ponting urges Shubman Gill to bat at No. 4 in England Tests

The Australian legend Ricky Ponting has advised Indian Test captain Shubman Gill to consider moving down the order to bat at No. 4 in the upcoming five-match Test series against England, which begins on June 20. Gill recently led Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2025 season, taking the franchise to third place on the points table.

Ponting believes a shift in the batting order could help reduce the pressure on Gill, especially with the responsibility of captaincy. With the retirement of Indian stalwart Virat Kohli, India are in search of a long-term No. 4 candidate.

“His white-ball form has been incredibly good. He’s got a little bit of work to do, on his Test match batting. And that’s never easy when you’re a new captain, to have to worry about your batting to the degree that he’s going to have to, it won’t be easy for him,” said Ponting.

The former Australian captain suggested that if India opens with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan, Gill could slot in at No. 4 to provide stability in the middle order.

“If they go with (Yashasvi) Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan as openers, they need someone more experienced at No. 3 — maybe KL Rahul or Karun Nair. That would allow Shubman to bat at four. Once you grow into it, then you can move yourself back up to No. 3,” added Ponting.

Gill wouldn’t faze too much: Ponting

Ponting expressed confidence in Gill’s leadership and believed the 25-year-old had the temperament to handle pressure. He also pointed out a few areas where Gill needs to improve, particularly his concentration during long innings.

“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. He’s someone who’s going to be around Indian cricket for another 10 years,” Ponting conceded.

“I think it’s more his mental application. There’s nothing wrong technically. But sometimes, he might get ahead of himself or be a little lazy during an innings. You’ve got to be 100% committed for every ball, for six or seven hours of the day. That’s the challenge for Shubman,” he added.

Need to be in control of his strokeplay: Ponting

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) head coach emphasized the importance of mindset and stroke control over just a solid defence.

“Some great Test players didn’t have great defensive games. But if you’re in control of your strokeplay, that’s less of a worry. Defence is important, but mindset matters more,” Ponting concluded.

Get every cricket updates! Follow Us: