Cricket often looks simple from the stands but sometimes a single dismissal can open the door to a much deeper conversation. After Shubman Gill’s exit in the third ODI against New Zealand, Ravichandran Ashwin stepped in — not as a bowler but as a teacher, to explain how modern batters constantly battle invisible challenges when moving between formats.
Responding to Sunil Gavaskar’s on-air observation, Professor Ashwin shared his thoughts on social media and turned the moment into an insightful lesson.
“Sunny bhai is talking about how Shubman’s bat was really close to the pad in England where he made all his runs,” Ashwin wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “I am going to try and illustrate the challenge for a modern-day batter, the changes which happen automatically most of the times when you shift in & out of red-ball cricket.”
https://x.com/ashwinravi99/status/2012877825758654860
Ravichandran Ashwin then walked fans through Shubman Gill’s dismissal step by step. In the first frame he described, Shubman Gill was in his most natural batting position, shaped by years of repetition. His bat was picked up from gully, a familiar setup that allows him to play through the line with confidence. It was the kind of position batters slip into instinctively, without conscious thought.
In the second frame, Ashwin pointed out that Shubman Gill had read the delivery early. He realigned his bat to come down straight, placing himself in what looked like a strong position to handle the ball. At that stage, everything appeared under control.
https://x.com/ashwinravi99/status/2012878575905780046
The issue, R Ashwin explained, emerged moments later. As the ball threatened to move back in, the bat needed to curve inward slightly to close the gap between bat and pad. That gap is crucial, especially when the ball seams sharply. In the third image, Ashwin noted that the space between bat and pad began to open and Shubman Gill would already have sensed the danger as the ball pitched and jagged back in.
https://x.com/ashwinravi99/status/2012879059919790477
According to Ashwin, the fix did not require a big movement. Instead, it came down to delicate hand work at the last moment. He felt Shubman Gill needed to slightly loosen his bottom hand and bring his hands closer to the body to counter the late movement. The fourth frame showed why that adjustment never arrived.
Ravichandran Ashwin wrote, “If you see closely, the bottom hand, which is supposed to be used for dexterity hasn’t loosened up and allowed the last minute adjustment.
Even though, he wants to shut the gap down, his bottom hand which is firm on the handle isn’t allowing him to do it.”
https://x.com/ashwinravi99/status/2012879594467299729
R Ashwin was quick to add perspective, making it clear this was not a long-term concern. “This is what happened now, but he managed to address this while he was playing Tests in England,” he noted. He described Shubman Gill as a ‘fab player’ and reminded fans that such lapses can happen, especially when players constantly switch formats. Shubman Gill finished the series with 145 runs across three matches and Ashwin’s analysis served more as reassurance than criticism.
https://x.com/ashwinravi99/status/2012880367456518406
What an analysis by Professor Ravichandran Ashwin!
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