NEW DELHI: Former India head coach Ravi Shastri showered high praise on Shubman Gill after the young Indian batter notched up his seventh Test century on a gripping first day of the second Test against England, describing it as a “disciplined performance” where Gill “looked fantastic and very solid.“Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Gill, coming in at No. 4, displayed remarkable poise and application to remain unbeaten on 114 off 216 balls, an innings studded with 12 boundaries. His knock, which helped India reach 310/5 at stumps, was his second century in as many matches after a match-defining 147 at Headingley last week.
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Do you think India can reach a total of 450 runs in this innings?
“Shubman Gill has worked hard on his defence,” said Shastri on Sky Sports. “When he last came to England, he played with hard hands, pushed at the ball — a bit like Virat Kohli. But now, the top hand is much more in control. He allows the ball to come to him, trusts in his defence, and has all the shots in the book when he goes on the attack.”
Highlighting the vital 99-run unbeaten partnership with Ravindra Jadeja (41*), Shastri added, “India will be pretty happy. This stand has got them out of what could’ve been a spot of bother. But tomorrow morning is crucial — they’ll need another 150 at least. They can afford to lose just one wicket in the first hour.”Former England captain Nasser Hussain echoed Shastri’s sentiments, noting the importance of capitalising on the strong foundation. “As Ravi said, they should be getting this total up to 450 and beyond tomorrow. My eyes are on India – can they make up for their mistakes last time?”Hussain also acknowledged England’s tireless bowlers, saying, “It was a flat pitch. You can’t fault the effort. But this 99-run partnership turned the game. Before it, England were ahead – unlike Headingley.”As Day 2 beckons, all eyes remain on India to consolidate and avoid another Headingley-style collapse.
