Former Indian wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik lauded captain Shubman Gill for refining his defensive game during the ongoing Test series in England. The 25-year-old has been in phenomenal form across the first two Tests, particularly standing out in the second Test at Edgbaston.
After his classy 147 in the opening Test at Leeds, which came in a losing cause, Gill raised the bar with a sensational 269 in the first innings at Edgbaston. This knock not only made him the highest-scoring Indian batter in Tests on English soil but also earned him the record for the highest score by an Indian Test captain.
Gill’s hunger for runs continued as he followed it up with a commanding 161 in the second innings, taking his match total to 430 runs — the second-highest match aggregate in Test history, only behind Graham Gooch. Reflecting on Gill’s extraordinary performance and growth as a batter, Dinesh Karthik spoke to Sky Sports after Day 4 of the second Test.
“The one difference – the ball coming in had troubled him quite a bit but it does feel like he gets his bat ahead of his pads these days. The defense has looked solid. He has said in an interview that he has worked on his technique before coming to England and it is showing.”
He further added:
“The pitches haven’t had too much for the bowlers so when it gets spicier, we will really know how much he has worked on it. But, for the moment, he definitely looks very comfortable when he is batting. More than the technique, it is the mental fortitude that he has shown, batting long periods and having the hunger, to get a big one.”
“Shubman Gill Took Responsibility for the Headingley Defeat”- Michael Atherton
Michael Atherton believes Shubman Gill’s decision to take responsibility for the first Test loss at Leeds fueled his determination to deliver big in the second Test. Despite his 147, India’s lower-order collapse allowed England to chase 371 and take a 1-0 lead.
“Before the game, in the pre-match press conference, he put a lot of the blame for the defeat at Headingley upon him and the other batters, who gave it away a little bit. He didn’t really reflect on that last day when his captaincy was under the microscope and England had that mammoth chase,” said Atherton (via the aforementioned source).
He further added:
“He said we should have buried that game, I got out on 147 and those two collapses let England back in the game. So, he seemed doubly determined not to let that happen here. He has scored so many runs after just two Tests that there are some significant records that may come within his sight if the sun continues to shine and the pitches stay flat.”
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