Gautam Gambhir Praises Shubman Gill's Exceptional Talent in Test Series

Gambhir Highlights Gill's Adaptation to International Cricket

Manchester [UK], July 28: Gautam Gambhir, the head coach of the Indian cricket team, expressed confidence in the abilities of Indian captain Shubman Gill. He emphasized that Gill's talent has never been in doubt, noting that players often require time to adjust to the rigors of international cricket. Gambhir remarked that Gill's impressive performance in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy is not unexpected.

Currently, Gill has scored an impressive 722 runs without being dismissed, surpassing Yashasvi Jaiswal's previous record of 712 runs against England at home last year. Only Sunil Gavaskar has achieved more runs in a single Test series for India, with 774 runs during the 1971 tour of the West Indies and 732 runs at home in 1978-79.

“There was never any doubt about Shubman Gill's capabilities. Those who questioned him are merely talking about cricket without understanding it. Some players take time to flourish in international cricket, and there’s no surprise in our dressing room regarding Shubman’s performance on this tour,” Gambhir stated during a press conference.

In the World Test Championship (WTC) era, Gill has now recorded nine centuries, matching Rohit Sharma's record, although Gill achieved this in just 67 innings compared to Rohit's 69.

Gambhir noted that Gill manages to separate the pressures of captaincy from his batting, stating that when he steps onto the field, he focuses solely on his role as a batsman.

“Honestly, even if he hadn’t performed, there would still be no doubt about his talent. Those who truly understand cricket recognize the level of skill Shubman possesses. Importantly, he is meeting expectations and handling the pressures of captaincy exceptionally well, which is evident when he bats,” he added.

Gill etched his name in cricket history by scoring his fourth century of the series, a well-crafted 103 on the final day of the fourth Test against England, despite India trailing by 88 runs.

With this century, Gill joins the ranks of legends like Don Bradman and Sunil Gavaskar as one of the few captains in Test history to score four centuries in a single series.

No other player has managed to score four centuries in their debut Test series as captain, with the previous record being three centuries, held by cricketing greats such as Warwick Armstrong, Don Bradman, Greg Chappell, Virat Kohli, and Steven Smith.