WATCH: Best of Shubman Gill
Flowing off drives, crisp back-foot drives, crunching pulls, ramps over third man - Shubman Gill showed his range of strokes in Australia
ESPNcricinfo staff
21-Jan-2021
One of the biggest positives for India in the 2020-21 Border Gavaskar Trophy was how Shubman Gill took to Test cricket and handled a top-quality bowling attack in Australian conditions. He passed 30 in seven of eight innings, which each knock containing some elegant strokes.
35* off 36 balls, MCG, 2nd inns
In his first Test innings, at the MCG, Gill had some close calls early but then counterattacked to score 45. In the second innings, with India chasing just 70, Gill took charge from the off. He started with a couple of perfectly timed off drives before showing off his back-foot play, finishing with seven boundaries in 36 balls.
50 off 101 balls, SCG, 1st inns
In Sydney, Australia put up 338, and Gill begun India's response with a half-century that included eight boundaries. His back-foot drive was a thing of beauty, and he timed a couple of pull shots perfectly. Against Nathan Lyon, he was comfortable: he took big front-foot strides to get to the pitch and was not afraid to cover-drive against the turn. His control percentage was 92, remarkable against one of the best attacks in Test cricket.
91 off 146 balls, Gabba, 2nd inns
The last day of the series left India with a steep chase of 328. It may have been easier to look at it as three sessions to bat out, but Gill followed his attacking instincts. When Australia tried to bounce him, he played some beautiful hooks and ramps, taking 14 runs off one Mitchell Starc over. His control percentage in this innings, on a fifth-day pitch, was an astounding 95.2 and, though he fell short of a century, his innings set up a famous win.