Shubman Gill was on the receiving end of ample criticism prior to his innings against England in the second Test. More than ten consecutive innings without a score he could convert, lacking form, not built for the long format: all comments thrown at the young batter on a regular basis.
Gill though let his bat do the talking, as he slashed and slammed his way to a match-winning century in the second innings against England in Vizag, helping India set up their ultimately series-tying total of 398 runs, with his sensational 104-run outing.
After coming in to bat, near a pivotal moment of the match where James Anderson worked his timeless magic to remove both openers Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal in consecutive overs, Gill remained calm and composed as he picked his moments to slowly dismantle the English bowlers one-by-one. And along with Shreyas Iyer, he helped swing the momentum in favour of the Indians once again with ease, before ultimately taking the game away from the visitors, credit to a crucial 89-run stand with Axar Patel.
His brilliant outing did not go unnoticed by anyone, and one who lauded the young Indian’s innings was none other than swashbuckling former South African batter AB De Villiers himself.
De Villers stated that Gill showcased maturity and composure beyond his years with the innings he played and proved to be the point of difference in a heated contest between the two spirited sides.
“He (Gill) came to Vizag and just showed the incredible character that the young man has got. What an incredible player. I don’t know if he has worked on his technique at all or has anything changed, but it just shows you the talent he has got. In the second innings of a big Test match, that was a telling hundred and let me tell you, that was the difference between the two sides,” said De Villiers on his YouTube channel.
Indian bowlers then eventually went on to wreak havoc over the English batters with ease, as the hosts bowled them out with relative ease and secured themselves a convincing 106-run win over the visitors to tie up the five-match Test series 1-1.
The third Test between India and England will take place in Rajkot, and is slated to begin on February 15.
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