"That's what has made him the player he is"- Aakash Chopra on Shubman Gill's unique quality
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra hailed opener Shubman Gill for his incredible hundred against Australia in the fourth Test in Ahmedabad on Saturday. The youngster played a fantastic knock of 128 and kept the Australian bowlers under the pump as long during his stay at the crease.
Chopra feels Gill's ability to find gaps with ease and free-playing shots are two things that have stood out across formats of late.
In a video on his YouTube channel, here's what Aakash Chopra had to say about Shubman Gill's knock:
"One may argue that Gill plays with hard hands, but that's how he scores his runs and that's what has made him the player he is. He has always had the temperament and that's what has helped him churn hundreds after hundreds. Leave saying future because he is the present of Indian cricket.
"No matter how flat the pitch is, no matter who is playing in the opposition, you have to earn your Test runs and Shubman Gill did exactly that. He was finding gaps in the field quite easily."
Would accept getting out playing a shot: Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill himself agreed that it was a conscious effort from him to keep playing positive shots once he gets set at the crease. The 23-year-old claimed that he wanted to back himself and play his shots instead of going into a shell.
On this, Gill stated:
"There was a phase in between where I was scoring 40s and 50s. I feel I was getting over-defensive after getting set. I was getting very cautious about converting starts into big scores. I would accept getting out playing a shot, but getting out while playing a kind of game that is not mine was not acceptable to me. It was more of a mental thing. I had to keep telling myself to bat in a free-flowing manner.”
Gill has all but sealed his place as an opener for India if they qualify for the World Test Championship final in June.