Shubman Gill (Getty Images)
NEW DELHI: India captain Shubman Gill has drawn widespread praise for his standout performance in England, where he scored a phenomenal 754 runs, finishing as the leading run-scorer in his debut Test series as skipper. Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik lauded Gill’s technical evolution with the bat and his composed handling of media scrutiny throughout the tour. Karthik noted that Gill not only addressed doubts about his overseas form but did so with conviction and confidence.“He’s been aggressive at times—sometimes he crossed the line. I think he’ll tone that down a bit, but I hope not too much. Most importantly, the way he handled the English media was commendable. Going into the series, people questioned his record away from home, and he responded by saying, ‘I want to be the best batter across both teams.’ It’s one thing to say it, but you’ve got to back it up with skill—and he did,” Karthik said.Karthik pointed out that Gill had shown previous vulnerabilities against deliveries coming back into him, but had clearly worked on his technique to overcome that flaw.The turning point of the series, according to Karthik, was Gill’s astonishing performance in the second Test at Edgbaston, where he scored 430 runs, including a double century and a hundred.“What stood out was his hunger and determination. That 269 and the century at Edgbaston, and the sheer amount of time he spent at the crease—that was truly special,” Karthik added.With the England series over, Gill now gears up to lead North Zone in the Duleep Trophy, followed by captaining India in a two-Test series against the West Indies, starting October 2.
