Shubman Gill overcame a lengthy streak of poor Test scores in Visakhapatnam, scoring a spectacular second-innings century to lead India to a series-leveling 106-run victory.
Prior to his performance in Vizag, Gill had never scored 50 runs while batting at No. 3 in Tests. He was again tormented and removed by James Anderson in the first innings, and he appeared to be fighting a losing battle to preserve his spot in India’s Test lineup.
However, the gifted 24-year-old withstood the storm in the second essay, assisting the hosts in setting England a goal of 399 runs to win the Test. The visitors fell short in the end, as India leveled the five-match series.
India’s lineup for the next three tests has been declared, including Shubman Gill. Rohit Sharma’s team is thrilled to see the young player scoring once again, especially with the impending major World Test Championship matches.
Here are three aspects that make Shubman Gill’s comeback beneficial for India.
1. India’s quest for middle-order solidity ahead of the World Cup
India is now experiencing a difficult era of change, particularly in the batting department.
It appears the selectors have chosen to exclude Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. Despite Pujara’s outstanding performances in the current Ranji Trophy, they didn’t select him for the last three matches against England. They’ve also disregarded other players, including Hanuma Vihari.
As things stand, India has to find the proper guys to support in the middle order. Shubman Gill has long been regarded as one such batter, but he has yet to deliver on that promise consistently. Now, with his magnificent century, the think tank will have gotten some justification and will be able to carry out the changeover with greater confidence.
If Shubman Gill is to be allowed a long run of games, he will need to score big, as he did in the second Test. And if he is supported through this difficult period, India will gain from the steadiness he will provide in the middle order.
2. India’s run-scoring challenge in the short term
India’s problems extend beyond the long-term outlook. They are engaged in a tense combat with England, who has arrived on their beaches with no intention of backing down.
Ben Stokes and co. secured a remarkable triumph in Hyderabad, and after falling down for the whole of the Visakhapatnam Test, they threatened to pull off the impossible in the fourth innings. England are a formidable opponent, and India will fall short if they do not get enough runs.
Shubman Gill’s performance boost has tremendously benefited the home team. Virat Kohli’s absence in the series is notable, while Rishabh Pant, a key player, is also unavailable. The presence of KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja is doubtful due to health concerns, both didn’t participate in the second Test.
In such a circumstance, India’s batsmen must step up and give consistent results. Now that Gill has done it once, the hosts will be hoping that he can go on to achieve even greater success in the remaining World Test Championship series.
3. Shubman Gill is just too good to be out of the Test team in the long run
To be precise, Shubman Gill is too excellent a player to be excluded from the Test team in the long run. He is already worlds above the Ranji Trophy standard and has nearly mastered 50-over cricket at the international level.
Shubman Gill’s best batting spot is still unclear, yet he undeniably ranks among the nation’s finest players. Even with few technical aspects needing improvement, he clearly displays the potential of becoming a timeless maestro in all game formats.
The sooner Gill realizes his great potential, the better it would be for both the individual and Team India. Having a generational batsman like Shubman Gill in form would help the team reach new heights in the format.
