Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra showered praise on Shubman Gill after India registered a massive win of 336 runs against England in the second Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham on Sunday. This is not only India’s biggest away win but also their first at the venue.
Shubman Gill led from the front as he scored a magnum opus knock of 269 runs in the first innings. Gill continued his rich form in the second innings, scoring another brilliant knock of 161 runs off just 162 balls as he batted at the top of his game.
Thus, Gill aggregated 430 runs, which is the second highest individual score in a Test match after Graham Gooch’s 456.
“Shubman Gill and his impact, both as a captain and as a batter, need to be spoken about. He has turned a very important page. He had an average of just 25 outside Asia before this tour. He did score a hundred in the last match for sure, but it came in a losing cause. He didn’t score too many runs in the second innings, and that is where the match changed,” Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
Gill also became the first player in Test history to score 250+ and 150+ in the same match.
“However, he scored 250-plus in the first innings and 150-plus in the second innings here. 430 runs in one match. If someone has a 400-run series, we celebrate that player, but to score so many runs in just one match. You are talking about the possibility of it being an 800 or 900-run series. It could even be a 1,000-run series. 1,000 runs are not scored, but who knows?” he added.
After two Test matches in the series, Gill has amassed 585 runs at an astonishing average of 146.25.
Gill started his career as an opener and then moved to one drop. The Indian captain is batting at his new position of number four in the ongoing series.
“It’s true that he is probably the only player in Indian Test cricket history who started as an opener, but his best has come at No. 4. Generally, when you open and don’t do well, it’s not that he was doing very badly, but you don’t move to No. 3 or No. 4, but are dropped from the team,” he said.
Chopra backed Gill to savor more success while batting at the number four position in the red-ball version.
“However, with Shubman Gill, because he is quality and has skills, and you see class, future, and a lot of pedigree when you look at him, you feel this guy needs to be invested in. Another thing that goes along with that is his numbers in white-ball cricket. He has double centuries in ODIs and Tests at 25 years of age. He has established himself at No. 4, and this is where he is going to stay,” Chopra observed.
The third Test match between India and England will be played at Lord’s, London from 10th July onwards.
