"That was the difference between the two sides" - AB de Villiers lauds Shubman Gill for a fine hundred under pressure in IND vs ENG 2nd Test
Legendary South African cricketer AB de Villiers is highly impressed with young Indian batter Shubman Gill for the stunning hundred that the latter scored in the second innings of the second Test against England in Visakhapatnam.
Gill's knock of 104 allowed India to set up a daunting target of 399 for the visitors. Given England scored 292 in their fourth innings, De Villiers believes Gill's knock was match-defining for India.
In a video on his YouTube channel, here's what AB de Villiers had to say about Shubman Gill's hundred (9:47):
"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."
After the game, while speaking on Sports18, Shubman Gill accepted that he was under a bit of pressure coming into the second Test due to the expectations he had from himself. The hundred will certainly help him believe that he could be successful at No. 3 in Test cricket.
AB de Villiers on Zak Crawley's LBW dismissal
AB de Villiers also claimed that England captain Ben Stokes was right to feel a bit hard done by with the way opener Zak Crawley was adjudged LBW in the fourth-innings chase.
De Villiers opined that the ball would have probably just clipped the stumps and that the technology got it wrong by suggesting Kuldeep Yadav had trapped Crawley in front. On this, he stated (7:25):
"I am looking at it now and I feel it is not hitting the leg stump (Crawley LBW). It might just clip or touch the outer part of the leg-stump, which ultimately would be umpire's call. Technology has made decisions more accurate, but they need to make sure that the cameras are right in line with the middle stump at both ends and not at an angle. Ben Stokes was a little bit upset and rightfully so."
Crawley looked good for his 73 and was understandably distraught to see the LBW decision go against him. AB de Villiers further claimed that the game could have gotten a lot closer had Crawley hung around for a bit more time.