Shubman Gill Batting Like No One Has In 30-35 Years, Even Ganguly Says So
Most runs by an Indian batter in a single Test, Shubman Gill missed Graham Gooch's all-time mark by only 26 runs as he added a whopping 430 runs to India's total in the Edgbaston Test against England. The manner in which Gill toyed with England bowlers, and it didn't look like it was even possible to get him out unless he himself believed that there were enough runs on the board. Many great Indian players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar, Virat Kohli, etc. toured England on multiple occasions, but none of them managed to create the sort of impact that Gill has. When one comes to the understanding that he is also leading the Indian team while getting his bat to produce fire, the nature of the contribution is truly understood.
It took India 63 years before they won their first Test in Birmingham, in their 9th attempt at the venue, despite seeing some of the country's biggest cricket stalwarts trying their best to breach the Edgbaston Fortress. Gill, who already has 585 runs to his name in the series, has been backed to aggregate over 1000 before the 5-match series concludes.
The number 1000 didn't just fall from the cricketing realms but has been labelled as quite a realistic target for a batter of the stature of Gill. While the 25-year-old always showed promise of being the next big thing from Indian cricket, former India captain Sourav Ganguly even feels that the way he is batting in England, no Indian has ever.
"I had a long video call with Sourav Ganguly on the final day of the Test when he was on his way back to Kolkata. He was telling me that, in 30-35 years of watching cricket in this country, he has not seen a batter bat as well. That should tell you something," NDTV's Consulting Editor Boria Majumdar revealed, after a conversation with Ganguly.
"Sunil Gavaskar said the same thing in the press box. Multiple English commentators said the same thing. The point is, Shubman Gill is looking flawless. He isn't giving any opportunity to any English bowler. No one has any control over Shubman Gill. That's how good he is. He is demoralizing English bowlers. When you add captaincy to that, then you realise the kind of impact this man is creating," he added.
It wasn't just Gill's batting that decimated Stokes and his men with his batting. How Gill led his troops, shuffled bowlers around, plotted match-ups and dismissals for different batters, left even the purists of the game in awe.
"The moment you score that many runs and you have confidence in yourself, your captaincy will improve. Some of the fields he set were excellent. The way he backed Akash Deep, rotated bowlers, and backed Mohammed Siraj was sensational to see. Even in the press conference, his body language and composure are what make him special. You don't need superstars in this team; you need a team. That's what Shubman Gill is building in this side. That is what is important," Boria Majumdar said, speaking of the leader that Gill has become.
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