An ex-England cricketer has lauded Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant for their remarkable transition into the Indian Test team, highlighting their seamless adaptation and impactful performances. This praise comes amidst a significant shift in Indian cricket, with Gill taking the reins as captain and Pant solidifying his role as a dynamic force in the middle order.
The former England fast bowler, Stuart Broad, has questioned why Shubman Gill batted as an opener earlier in his career, lauding his "outrageous" performance at the No. 4 position. Broad noted that Gill has shown no obvious weaknesses and has played with immense responsibility under pressure in his first two Test matches as captain. Virat Kohli also praised Gill, calling him a "star boy". Nasser Hussain, another former England captain, highlighted Gill's exceptional form, noting his century in the first Test, followed by a double century and another century in the second Test.
Gill's recent performance in the second Test against England at Edgbaston has been record-breaking. He became the first player in 148 years of Test cricket to score a double century and a 150 in the same match. Gill's aggregate of 430 runs in the match is the second-highest in Test history, only surpassed by Graham Gooch's 456 against India in 1990. In the same match, Gill also broke Sunil Gavaskar's 54-year-old record for the most runs by an Indian in a Test match. He is also the second Indian after Gavaskar to hit a double century and a century in the same Test. Gill's scores of 269 and 161 in the match have etched his name in the record books.
Rishabh Pant, on the other hand, has been breaking records of his own. During the same Edgbaston Test, Pant surpassed Ben Stokes' record for the most sixes by a foreign cricketer in Test history in any country. Pant now holds the record with 24 sixes in England, surpassing Stokes' previous record of 21 in South Africa. He also became the first Asian wicketkeeper-batter to score 2,000 Test runs in South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia (SENA) countries. In this series, Pant is the second-highest run-getter, with 342 runs in four innings at an average of 85.00, including two centuries and a fifty.
Michael Vaughan, another former England captain, described the decision to appoint Shubman Gill as India's Test captain as a "bold move". Vaughan acknowledged that Gill has a lot to prove, particularly in overseas conditions, but expressed confidence in the youngster's temperament to handle the pressure. He also noted that with Rishabh Pant as his deputy, this England tour could mark the beginning of a new era for Indian Test cricket.
These two players exemplify the changing landscape of Indian cricket, with a focus on youth and dynamic leadership. The ex-England cricketer's praise underscores the confidence in Gill and Pant's ability to lead India into a new era of Test cricket, solidifying their positions as key figures in the team's future.
