Wanted to enjoy batting and stay present’ – Gill reflects on his 269 in Edgbaston Test

On Day 2 of the second Test match against England at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Thursday, July 3, Shubman Gill achieved his first double century for India in red-ball cricket. After Ben Stokes urged him to bat first, the Indian Test skipper scored a magnificent 269 runs off 387 balls to help India reach a huge total of 587 in the first innings.

In Test matches against SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) nations, Shubman became the first Asian skipper to score two hundreds. Additionally, he eclipsed Sachin Tendulkar’s 241* against Australia in Sydney in 2004 to establish the highest score by an Indian hitter outside of Asia.

But in an interview following the conclusion of Day 2, Shubman disclosed that he was having trouble setting boundaries during one part of his innings and even discussed the matter with head coach Gautam Gambhir. The 25-year-old, however, remained composed because he understood he needed to bat deep and that batting collapses, similar to those in the first Test, may occur in English conditions.

“I sensed that the ball had gotten softer and that the fielders were receiving my shots directly. I told Gautam bhai that I was having trouble establishing limits when I was about 35–40 off 100 balls. I knew that if I was set, I had to remain to the very end and complete the task since the runs weren’t coming as easily as they had in the first Test. “My focus was to bat deep and reduce mistakes because the lessons from the last match were clear—lower-order collapses can happen quickly in these conditions,” Gill stated on JioHotstar’s “Match Centre Live.”

While batting at Edgbaston, the right-handed batsman went back to the fundamentals and made an effort to be calm and present-minded. He also acknowledged that he had not capitalised on starts earlier in his career.

“In the lead-up to this series and during the IPL, I had practiced my opening action and setup. I used to frequently go out in my 30s and 40s, maybe because I missed the window of time when I was most focused. This time, I reverted to my childhood batting technique. I kept my composure, concentrated on rhythm, and ignored the score. “I wanted to stay in the moment and enjoy my batting,” Gill said.

During the actual IPL, I began using the red ball for practice: Gill

According to Gill , changing formats is a difficult undertaking. The Indian Premier League (IPL), which concluded two weeks before the Anderston-Tendulkar Trophy began, included the majority of the country’s players. Gill  disclosed that he began using the red ball for practice during the IPL.

It’s difficult to switch between formats, particularly when switching from T20 to Test cricket. We’ve witnessed a significant shift in technique, philosophy, and general setup during the past four or five years. It’s difficult to abruptly shift gears and control everything after three months of playing cricket entirely on instinct. In order to prepare my body and mentality for Test match cricket, I began using the red ball for practice during the IPL. Test to T20 is doable, but the reverse puts your discipline to the test,” Gill stated.