Has Gill's Hard Work on Defence Paid Off? Shastri Weighs In!

Birmingham, July 2 (NationPress) Former India head coach Ravi Shastri praised Shubman Gill for achieving his seventh Test century against England at Edgbaston, highlighting the evident effort he put into improving his defence. Gill's performance was instrumental in guiding the visitors past the 300 mark.

On the first day, Gill demonstrated remarkable tenacity, scoring his second Test century in successive matches, having previously begun his Test captaincy with an impressive 147 at Headingley last week. By the end of the day, India was positioned at 310/5 after 85 overs. Batting at number four, Gill exhibited significant responsibility and patience, remaining unbeaten on 114 off 216 balls, featuring 12 boundaries.

"India will certainly be satisfied with their standing at the close of day one. The 99-run partnership between Gill and Jadeja has effectively steered them away from potential trouble. However, they must aim for at least another 150 runs going forward," Shastri commented.

"Had England made further breakthroughs after reaching 211-5, the scenario could have been drastically different. Nevertheless, Shubman Gill's display was outstanding. His disciplined approach made him appear fantastic and very solid.

"Gill has evidently dedicated time to enhancing his defence. During his previous tour to England, he played with more aggressive hands, similar to Virat Kohli. However, now, his top hand shows better control. He allows the ball to come to him, trusts his defence, and possesses a comprehensive range of shots when he decides to attack," Shastri elaborated on Sky Sports’ broadcast.

He emphasized the necessity for the 99-run partnership between Gill and Ravindra Jadeja, who remains unbeaten on 41, to accelerate in the first hour. "The initial hour will be crucial for India tomorrow. They can likely afford to lose one wicket in that period to keep on track. England is aware that if they pick up a couple of early wickets, they stand a great chance of limiting India's score," he noted.

Former England captain Nasser Hussain concurred, stating, "Focus should be on India tomorrow rather than what England can achieve. There’s no reason they should have lost 7-41 in the first innings on day two and 6-31 in the second innings at Headingley."

"As Ravi mentioned, they should elevate their total to 450 and beyond. They have significantly revamped their lower order. My attention is on India tomorrow. Will they rectify their previous mistakes?"

He also suggested that England's bowlers should not be blamed for their efforts on a flat pitch. "England likely feels similar to their sentiments after day one at Headingley. However, this feels like a missed opportunity. Prior to the 99-run partnership between Gill and Jadeja, they were ahead in the game, unlike during their previous encounter at Headingley," Hussain explained.

"One asset Stokes possesses, not just from his leadership but due to his results, is the confidence and support from his bowling attack. It was a challenging day for them, with back-to-back bowling sessions and Carse limping off, but the bowlers’ effort is commendable."