'It's About Having Good Defence but Also Not Missing out on Scoring Opportunities', Says Shubman Gill After Ton Against Bangladesh at MAC

Team India finished Day 3 of the first Test against Bangladesh at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday in a position of dominance as the hosts set the visitors a target of 515 runs to win and managed to dismiss four Bangladeshi batters during the chase.

India, who began the day with a 308-run lead, added 287 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in the second innings riding on magnificent tons from Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant who added an unbeaten 119 and 109 runs respectively.

Gill overturned the disappointment of a first-innings duck with a splendid century in the second innings in a timely fashion with some authentic cricket shots and an air of confidence that was apparent in the manner in which he dismantled the visitors’ bowling attack.

Gill, who worked on playing against spin ahead of the series opined that picking up runs help in boosting one’s confidence at the crease.

“Definitely scoring runs against any opposition gives you a lot of confidence and that’s what I’ve been working on. So it gives me a lot of satisfaction,” the 25-year-old said.

“I practised before this series. I had certain plans. So I think I executed them,” he continued.

“It’s about having a good defence but then also not missing out on the opportunities that you get as a batsman to be able to score runs,” the batter explained.

Gill demonstrated a rather old-fashioned manner of negotiating spin as he used his feet exceptionally well and opted for the aerial route when he deemed fit, which worked to perfection on the day.

“Actually, it’s something that I started practising when I was very young because I was always a tall guy. So it was easier for me to be able to use my feet and play along the ground,” Gill stated.

“Playing in the air and hitting sixes actually came a bit later when I got a little bit more power in my body. But initially, when I used to practice, especially against spinners, it used to be a lot more of me stepping down trying to rotate,” the boy from Fazilka added.

“Because it’s then hard for bowlers to settle on a wicket like this where the odd one is turning but not all the balls are turning,” he opined.

When quizzed if his approach to the game varies depending on the nature and gameplay of his partner at the crease, Gill said, “No, sir. Before every ball, a batsman has scoring opportunities. I know that I don’t have to play every shot but every batsman has a shot that he wants to play.”

“I know my strengths and my areas of attack. So, when someone bowls right into my areas, I will try to score runs. Otherwise, if it’s a good ball, I will try to defend it,” he continued.

“It doesn’t matter what happens at the other end of the crease. Also obviously, the requirement at the moment is for the team to come first and then we make your game plan accordingly,” he revealed.