The batter has been struggling but his second-innings century against England hinted at his readiness to unlock his potential
Once he had waded through the early debris of doubt, Shubman Gill’s innings against England was as fresh as a spring bouquet sprigged with narcissi. Yet, when he reached his hundred, there was no sign of a Yashasvi Jaiswal-style double-handed salute of delight to the crowd. A quiet waft of the bat and a puffed-cheeked sigh of relief was all he was willing to give.
Gill had been lucky to make it through the early onslaught from England’s bowlers on a cooler Visakhapatnam morning. Jimmy Anderson nipped the top of Rohit Sharma’s off stump in his first over, removed Jaiswal in his next, and Gill looked as if he would inevitably follow, poking about like someone batting away brambles with a bread stick.