Ravi Shastri, a former Indian cricketer, compared Shubman Gill to Virat Kohli after Gill scored his second century in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England.
Gill made a strong statement as India’s new captain by batting an unbroken 114 on the first day of the second Test at Edgbaston. His controlled knock was supported by a key 66-run partnership with opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who delivered a fluent 87. Their efforts helped India finish with a respectable 310 for 5 at stumps.
Shastri, who worked closely with Shubman Gill in his early international career, praised the young batter’s development.
He noticed improvements in Gill’s batting approach, notably his defensive play, and compared it to how Kohli has evolved his own game over time.
“I believe the main difference is that he has improved on his defence. When he last visited England, he was similar to Virat, playing with powerful hands and pushing the ball. “Now, the top hand has much more control,” Shastri said.
“He lets the ball come and contact the bat. He trusts his defence. We know he has every shot in the book. He is an excellent ball driver who can also pull. But that little defensive practice has done him a world of good,” he continued.
Notably, Gill’s maiden Test century as captain went in vain at Headingley as India suffered twin batting collapses and lost the game despite having five centuries across the two innings. However, the young skipper continued the form and struck a second consecutive ton in the series.
With India trailing 0-1 in the series after a five-wicket loss in the opener, Gill will look to remain composed and continue steering the innings when he resumes batting on Day 2. For England, the local boy Chris Woakes came on top with the ball as he picked two wickets and gave 59 runs in his 21 overs.
India
