During the second Test match against the English team in Birmingham, Indian captain Shubman Gill offered s image of concentration and calmness as he wrote a new chapter in history.
Nothing fazed him; not the arrival of the English bowlers nor the mind games they engaged in to distress him. For five sessions onward, he was inconsolable.
Then just like that, in the course of seconds, it was his own team-player pacer Akash who managed to push him over the edge where his opposition could not.
Gill was rarely frustrated. But the mix-up involving Akash led the Indian team almost to a run out which triggered a rare flash of anger from him, particularly due to the heavy concentration levels and the enormity of this innings in the pursuit of a triple century.
Shubham Gill, was sensational by his own rights (Untill this point)
Fans who have ever followed the action on platforms such as Cricmatch, were seeing a player in total control of games. Gill’s inning of 269 fully etched itself into memory; representing an impressive knock in his duties as captain and occurring at the crucial no. 4 batting position.
Gill made the record books as the highest score by an Indian batter in Tests in England, and the highest score by an Indian captain overall. He became the first Asian captain to score a double century in England.
It was a big performance given the opposition, conditions and the amount of skill and patience Gill showed on this exploration of a decent batting track. The technical skills Gill presented left everyone on the field in admiration.
Shubman Gill – A Near Miss at the Crease
The moment of high drama happened just before the tea break on day two. With a historic triple century in sight, Gill played a ball to mid-wicket, took off for a quick single, and at the non-striker’s end Akash Deep was not ready. He was slow to get his run going.
The delay presented a dangerous chance for England.
Ollie Pope, fielding mid-on, reacted quickly, diving to his right to stop the ball.
-He got to his feet and threw the ball to the keeper.
-The throw was not good. The keeper had to come away from the stumps to collect the throw.
That stroke of luck gave Akash Deep just enough time to scramble back. A better throw would have seen him surely dismissed. That would have been a hefty blow to India, and Gill’s chance for 300 with only the lower order to come would likely have gone up in flames.
Outburst by Shubman Gill
The Captain knew immediately the situation he was in. After coming safely to the non-striker’s end he turned around and showed his frustration. He yelled at Akash Deep to get off his backside and run, and it was the first time Gill had demonstrated such anger towards a teammate since taking over the reigns as the Test captain. And as Gill yells at Akash, it showed just what was at stake: he was clearly frustrated, not only for the sake of team’s total but also for his own milestone. He knew that to put India in a dominant position, they needed to push their score past 600.
The Triple Century that Got Away from Shubman Gill
As it turned out, Shubman Gill did not reach a triple century. His marathon innings came to an end late in the last session of the day was 269. He attempted to pull pacer Josh Tongue but was caught at midwicket. He fell after some mind games from the England’s Harry Brook, who was fielding at slip, trying to distract Gill’s concentration through comments about how tough it was to score in the 290s.
Just before Gill got out, Brook, supposedly, chatted with the Indian captain about how difficult it was to push through the 290s and asked Gill how it was possible.The exchange may have led to a transient moment of distraction that cost Gill his chance at history.
Regardless of how frustrating it was to come so close, Gill’s knock was a brilliant exposition of Test batting; he had spent eight hours at the crease and had cracked a total of 30 fours and two sixes.
His efforts led India to a monumental first innings score of 587 as he presented a significant 144-run partnership with all-rounder Washington Sundar, ensuring India remained in complete control of the match.
This new era of Indian cricket, with Gill at the forefront is something that fans have been following closely through live updates and expert analysis on Cricmatch365. His innings was a strong signal that he is ready to lead the next generation of India cricket.
Frequently Asked Questions :
1. Why did Shubman Gill get upset with his teammate Akash Deep?
Shubman Gill got upset with Akash Deep because Deep was slow to run following Gill getting a call for a quick single. Deep’s unwillingness to run almost resulted in a run-out which would have not only ended the partnership (ending Gill’s chance at a triple century) but also could have jeopardized Gill’s chances to score any kind of milestone.
2. Did Shubman Gill complete the triple century?
No, he did not. Shubman Gill was dismissed for 269 runs, 31 runs short of 300 runs.
3. What records did Gill break in this innings?
Shubman Gill broke a several records with his score of 269. It became the highest score by an Indian batter in a Test Match in England, the highest score by an Indian Test Captain and he became the first Asian Captain to make a double century in England.
4. In what manner was Shubman Gill dismissed?
He was dismissed while pulling a delivery from England pacer Josh Tongue, which was caught by the fielder at mid-wicket. The dismissal came soon after a supposed distraction attempt from England’s Harry Brook.
