Who said what - Top 5 expert reactions to Shubman Gill's brilliant 52* vs England in Ranchi ft. Anil Kumble
Shubman Gill produced another second-innings masterclass for India in the ongoing Test series against England as his unbeaten 52* helped the hosts win in Ranchi and seal the series 3-1.
Gill added a crucial 72 runs for the sixth wicket partnership with Dhruv Jurel and brought the hosts out of a precarious situation at 120/5 while chasing 192. He hit no boundaries in his innings and the two sixes that came off Shoaib Bashir's bowling were right at the backend of the chase.
Several cricket pundits were impressed with the maturity that Shubman Gill showed under extreme pressure. Here are some of their reactions:
#5 RP Singh
RP Singh was impressed with the way Shubman Gill applied himself as wickets kept on tumbling at the other end. Gill has always been a fluent stroke-maker but was prepared to dig deep and focus on the rotation of strike, as per the former Indian pacer.
Here's what the former cricketer told Colors Cineplex:
"A good player is one who adapts his batting according to the situation and Shubman Gill showed that by doing it. The better you defend or leave deliveries, it always creates a doubt in the bowlers' minds that their grip is loosening. So Shubman Gill kept himself mentally ahead and then showed faith in singles and doubles. He checked his shots."
RP Singh lauded Shubman Gill for curbing his instincts of playing big shots and hitting the two sixes only when the game was effectively sealed in India's favor.
#4 Aakash Chopra
Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra believed the knock from Shubman Gill was significant not just in the context of the match but also in the latter's Test career. Praising Gill's temperament, here's what Aakash Chopra had to say in a video on his YouTube channel:
"Some knocks make you mature. You might not have scored a lot of runs in that knock but you do extremely well going forward. This was that knock from Shubman Gill. You know that I rate him very highly. However, after watching this knock, the respect for him grows in your eyes."
Chopra opined that the partnership between Gill and Dhruv Jurel was viral for India as he believed England would have won the game had they broken the stand between the two early.
#3 Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen was one of the few cricket experts who had put their weight behind Shubman Gill when the latter was having a tough time with the bat at No.3. Pietersen was thrilled to see Gill's consistent returns after finally hitting form in Visakhapatnam.
Here's what the former England cricketer wrote on X (formerly Twitter) after Gill's half-century in Ranchi:
"They doubted Shubman like they doubted Virat when he was struggling! DO NOT!!!!!!!!!!"
Pietersen compared Gill's rough patch with Virat Kohli, probably referring to the period between 2019-2022 when the latter was struggling to break his century drought.
#2 Sunil Gavaskar
Former Indian legendary opener Sunil Gavaskar understood the pressure that Gill was under coming into the Test series against England. He lauded the youngster for producing fine performances in Visakhapatnam, Rajkot and Ranchi amidst the burden of criticism and expectations.
Here's what Gavaskar told India Today:
"His (Gill) performances, not just here, but when he started his international career, have been so good that everybody’s expectations were high. When that happens, people start questioning when you get a couple of low scores. To come out with the 2 innings that he did, particularly the innings he played today, was not easy."
Gavaskar believes the likes of Gill, Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and other youngsters doing well in the absence of experienced players keep Indian cricket in good stead.
#1 Anil Kumble
Former Indian legendary leg-spinner Anil Kumble gave Shubman Gill's example while explaining why England's Bazball ideology couldn't work in Indian conditions. He praised India's No. 3 for not playing the big shots when the situation was tight and for adapting under immense pressure.
Here's what Kumble had to say about Gill's knock on Jio Cinema:
"It's all nice to say 'ok, this is the way I bat'. But you can't do that all the time. Shubman Gill would have loved to pump every ball for a six off the off-spinner, and I'm sure the thought process was there, the intent was there. But you've got to hold back. In Test match cricket, that's what it is."
Kumble believes England had their moments in the Test series so far, but they couldn't adapt the way Gill did in crunch situations. The Indian No. 3 now has 342 runs in the Test series from just eight innings and is the second-highest run-scorer.