Ravi Shastri has showered immense praise on Shubman Gill following India's remarkable victory in the second Test against England at Edgbaston. The former Indian coach and commentator lauded Gill's exceptional batting and proactive captaincy, drawing comparisons to the legendary Don Bradman. Shastri's comments highlight the significance of Gill's contributions in India's turnaround after being 1-0 down in the series.
Gill led India to a historic win at Edgbaston, smashing 269 runs in the first innings and 161 in the second. These scores not only anchored India's batting but also set the stage for a record-breaking 336-run victory, the largest-ever away win for India. Shastri emphasized the importance of Gill's performance under pressure, noting that he batted like Bradman.
Shastri, speaking to Sky Sports, gave Gill a "10 out of 10" for his captaincy. He highlighted Gill's transformation from a reactive captain in the first Test to a proactive leader in the second. According to Shastri, Gill's proactive decision-making was instrumental in India's success. He also commended Gill for unearthing Akash Deep, a promising seamer who proved to be a handful for the English batsmen. Shastri believes Deep is perfectly suited for English conditions and will continue to trouble the opposition throughout the series.
Furthermore, Shastri recalled his early impressions of Gill, mentioning how he recognized Gill's exceptional talent during his time as the Indian team's head coach. He recounted an incident where he witnessed Gill effortlessly handling Raghavendra, India's throwdown specialist known for his high-speed deliveries in the nets. Shastri noted that Gill's ability to pull shots in a similar fashion to Virat Kohli impressed him greatly. He observed that Gill closely followed Kohli's training methods and incorporated them into his own routine.
In addition to praising Gill's batting and captaincy, Shastri also humorously addressed the team's fielding performance. Referring to the dropped catches in the first Test, Shastri jokingly mentioned that Gill went to a pharmacy to get a non-greasy hand sanitizer to improve the fielders' grip. He quipped that the sanitizer helped the players hold onto their catches, ultimately contributing to their win. While acknowledging that a few catches were dropped in the second Test as well, he pointed out that most of them were tough chances.
