It was very early on in his innings, and Shubman Gill was not looking comfortable. He had hit a four the previous ball, but even that shot was a miscue over mid-wicket. Tom Hartley bowled one that went with the arm and Gill did not read the trajectory of the ball. As the ball hit his pad plumb in front of the stumps, Gill looked despondent. India were 34-3 and in trouble. Almost as an afterthought, and in consultation with Shreyas Iyer, he reviewed. And when the ball-tracking showed a slight deviation as the ball hit the pad, Gill was all smiles.
He needed the luck and needed it badly. Yet, he wasn’t comfortable. In the very next over, Jimmy Anderson bowled him a peach which came in sharply. The ball hit Gill above his knee roll and Umpire Marais Erasmus called it not out. England reviewed, and it was Umpire’s call. Gill was alive, but only just.
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For the first 45 minutes of his innings, Gill looked ugly. And as Clive Lloyd always says, “You need to be ready to look ugly if you want to be successful in Test cricket.” Gill was prepared to grind it out. His did not let his ego take over and, for a while, just scored in singles. That’s when the ball started to hit the middle of the bat. His examination was over, and the Gill we know was starting to emerge again.
Soon, he was in flow. Some breathtaking shots all around the ground, and it was Gill who held the Indian innings together. With wickets falling at the other end, Gill needed to be there. And score. He balanced things beautifully and it was his effort that allowed India to get to what looks to be a match-winning score. Yes, miracles happen, but this will be a real one if England get 400 to win.
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Even when he scored his hundred, the celebrations were muted. There was no flinging the arms outwards or jumping in the air. There was no pump of the fists or anything the television cameras would love to play on loop. Just a sign of real relief and then holding the bat up to soak in the applause. Gill knows he is back, and Vizag could well have seen the rebirth of Shubman the Test-match batter.
In the absence of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant, India needed Gill. More so with Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal both back in the hut. Had he not stood up, the target could have been 300 or 325, and England would fancy their chances. Thanks to Gill, Rohit can now employ close-in fielders on day four and go for the kill.
Two things stood out in this innings, which were outstanding. First, he wasn’t at his fluent best, but he was ready to fight it out. Do it the hard way. That’s what Test cricket is all about, and that’s why someone like Sachin Tendulkar rates his Sydney 241 higher than many of his more attractive innings. Under pressure, Gill will value this hundred that much more. With the clamour getting louder and the knives out for him, he needed this more than ever. Use Vizag as an opportunity, and soak in the pressure. Show the world that white-ball pressures hadn’t destroyed his red-ball batting. And things should only get better for him from here on.
On day four, it is now on Jasprit Bumrah, R Ashwin and company to make sure Gill gets maximum value for his hundred. This is a huge run chase, and it has never been achieved before on Indian soil. India need to bowl really badly for England to have a chance, and with Bumrah, Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav to call on, chances are they won’t. A series-levelling win in difficult circumstances, while missing key players, would mean the world to Gill. It would mean his 100 turned out to be a match-winning one, and settle all debates for the time being. While the Test isn’t over yet, Gill will certainly feel a lot better as he gets back on the field on Monday. For, sometimes, ugly is beautiful. Just like his century.
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