He may be just seven Tests old but Shubman Gill has already been earmarked for future greatness by the legendary Sunil Gavaskar. And this when he is yet to register a century in his India career.
Gill made his Test debut during India’s epoch-making Australia tour of 2020-21 when they bounced back to win a four-match series 2-1. Since then, the 21-year-old has logged 378 runs including three half-centuries with his stroke-making and temperament delighting experts.
The closes Gill came to three figures was in the Melbourne Test when he struck 91 and thus playing a vital role in India winning the contest.
“He (Gill) has the temperament to become a great player,” Gavaskar said while commentating during the ongoing World Test Championship between India and New Zealand in Southampton.
Gill opened the innings alongside opener Rohit Sharma and together they added 62 runs on Day 2. Gill was dismissed for 28 off 64, an innings that featured three fours.
Gavaskar says that the first century is always the toughest to get and once Gill crosses that hurdle, plenty more will follow. “The first hundred is always the toughest one because that journey from scoring a half century to reaching three figures is not that easy,” Gavaskar said.
He continued, “Batsmen tend to feel settled somewhere around 70-80 run mark and start taking the bowlers on and lose their wicket in that way. He just needs to get his first hundred and then a lot more will follow.”
India were 146/3 in 64.4 overs when the play was stopped due to bad light. The forecast for the upcoming days isn’t great either with rain predicted on Day 3 as well.
When the play ended, captain Virat Kohli was batting on 44 alongside Ajinkya Rahane on 29 not out.
