"They doubted Shubman like they doubted Virat" - Kevin Pietersen's dig at Gill's critics after match-winning half-century in 4th Test
England legend Kevin Pietersen took a subtle dig at Shubman Gill's skeptics after the latter scored a crucial half-century in India's fourth innings run-chase against England in the fourth Test in Ranchi.
Despite all his accomplishments at a young age in the white-ball formats, Gill has struggled for consistency in Tests. With an average in the lower 30s, Gill's place in the Test side was heavily scrutinized following India's defeat in the first Test in Hyderabad.
The talented batter had gone 11 Test innings without a half-century and looked set to be the one making way upon the return of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul. However, Gill has scripted a remarkable turnaround with a century and 91 in the second and third Tests.
He continued his reignited form with a brilliant 52* off 124 deliveries to steer India to a five-wicket win on a challenging wicket at Ranchi.
Pietersen, who has been among the staunchest supporters of Gill, took the opportunity to point to how doubters threw bricks at Gill as they did to star batter Virat Kohli over the years.
"They doubted Shubman like they doubted Virat when he was struggling! DO NOT!!!!!!!!!!" tweeted Pietersen.
India sunk from 84/0 to 120/5 in their chase of 192 until Gill and Dhruv Jurel displayed nerves of steel to bail the side out of trouble.
The duo added an unbeaten 72 to help India win the game and seal the series with an unassailable 3-1 lead.
"It was about not giving maidens and keep picking the singles" - Subman Gill
Shubman Gill spoke about taking singles and reducing maiden overs as the key to the match-winning partnership between himself and Dhruv Jurel.
With England striking twice immediately after lunch on Day 4, the pair displayed maturity beyond their years by using their feet and milking singles before a finishing onslaught.
In an interview with the broadcaster after the win, Gill said:
"We were put under pressure, but got a good start from our openers. Jurel came out and took the pressure off, he saw the situation and played accordingly. They were protecting the boundaries, so it was about not giving maidens and keep picking the singles. He batted beautifully in the first innings and had to have the same mindset. I decided to take lbw out of the equation by using my feet."
Gill also scored a valuable 38 in India's first innings, and Jurel a magnificent 90 to ensure the side did not face a massive deficit.
The high-octane Test series moves to picturesque Dharamsala for the final encounter, starting on March 7.