India’s 25-year-old Test captain Shubman Gill produced an innings for the ages at Edgbaston, scoring a majestic 269 — the highest-ever Test score by an Indian not only on English soil but also in SENA countries, surpassing Sunil Gavaskar’s 221 at The Oval in 1979.
But what made the knock more special wasn’t just the weight of numbers. It was the quiet rebellion against pressure, against self-doubt, and noise, from within and outside. Prior to the Test series against England, questions were posed on Shubman Gill’s position in the team as a batter, let alone as the leader of the pack. He averaged 35 with no century in SENA countries. Fast forward now, he has a 269 and a 147 in just two weeks. Talk about impact!
Cricket 7 mins Shubman Gill delivers on promise, amends Headingley regret with maiden Test double ton at Edgbaston“I had stopped enjoying my batting”
After India’s batting collapse in Leeds and his own dismissal on 147, Gill admitted he was chasing runs, not rhythm. But in Birmingham, he changed. “Sometimes, when you aren’t scoring runs fluently, you stop enjoying your batting. You focus too much on the need to score runs. I felt I had lost that in my batting. I was so focused that I wasn’t enjoying my batting as much,” Gill said after stumps on Day 2.
“I mainly worked on my initial movement and my setup. Before this, I felt my batting was going well. I was scoring 30-35-40 runs consistently in Test matches. But at some point, I was missing that peak concentration time. A lot of people say that when you focus too much, you sometimes miss your peak time.”
That clarity translated into an innings of poise and authority. India were wobbling at 211/5 when Gill found his gears. He added 203 with Ravindra Jadeja and another 144-run stand with Washington Sundar, steering India to a mammoth 587. Many find this authoritative innings as the passing of the baton, from run-machine Virat Kohli to Gill, who has now written his name in the annals of Indian cricket history.
Cricket 7 mins Shubman Gill becomes 1st Indian captain to score double hundred in EnglandThe captain who prepares like a student
Gill revealed he began Test prep during the IPL itself. “Because the IPL setup, the white-ball setup, and what I wanted to do there were very different. So I thought that if I started my preparation from then itself, it would give me an edge when the time for the series came.”
And train he did against expectations, against numbers, but with the narrative. With this double century, he became the first Indian and first Asian captain to score a Test double ton in England. He also broke Virat Kohli’s record (254*) for the highest score by an Indian Test captain.
With England at 77/3, Gill now turns his focus to tactics as the captain. “(The pitch) doesn’t have a lot for bowlers, but enough that if a batsman tries too hard, there are chances of getting out. When the batsman tries to do something different, the chances of getting him out increase. So, we will try to frustrate them while they bat, and wherever they try to score runs, we won’t give them that opportunity. I think that will be the most important thing for our bowling.”
“I stopped enjoying my batting”: Shubman Gill rediscovers joy, form & history with Edgbaston epic Inside Sport India.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( “I stopped enjoying my batting”: Shubman Gill rediscovers joy, form & history with Edgbaston epic )
Also on site :