Nasser Hussain lauded Shubman Gill after the Punjab batsman began his Test captaincy stint with a fluent century against England on Friday, June 20, at Headingley in Leeds. His brilliant knock helped India win the first Test of the five-match series against England.
Shubman played attacking cricket, taking advantage of any loose balls thrown by England’s somewhat inexperienced bowling side. During his remarkable knock, the 25-year-old struck 16 fours and a single six, helping India end on Day 1 with 359/3 in 85 overs.
Hussain stated that Indian hitters enjoy striking boundaries since they excel in white-ball cricket. He also stated that the most of the players have lately moved to England after competing in the highly competitive Indian Premier League (IPL).
“They’ve grown up playing a lot of white-ball cricket, and they’re coming off the IPL, so they know how to hit boundaries. But they struck the correct balance; they hammered the poor balls for boundaries,” Hussain added while speaking to.
According to Nasser Hussain, the Indian team management expects Shubman to improve on Day 2.
The cricketer-turned-commentator also believes that captaining the Gujarat Titans in the IPL has made Shubman a more mature player.
“A brilliant day for India. The message would be to go back tomorrow. Gill has developed significantly since becoming captain of the Gujarat Titans,” he remarked.
Shubman registers highest Test score, Pant brings up seventh ton on Day 2
While Shubman played a terrific knock, his deputy, Rishabh Pant, wasn’t far behind. The wicketkeeper-batter stayed true to his character and played some audacious strokes to remain unbeaten on 65 off 102 balls on Day 1.
Shubman hit a brilliant boundary off Chris Woakes in the second over of Day 2 to surpass his previous highest Test score of 128, which he achieved against Australia in Ahmedabad in 2023. He ultimately went for 147 while attempting a maximum over the deep mid-wicket zone, only to mistime and find the fielder, but not before putting his team in a commanding lead against the Three Lions.
Meanwhile, Pant scored his eighth Test century and third in England in the 100th over, striking a famous one-handed six from Shoaib Bashir, the same bowler who dismissed Gill a few overs later.
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