India captain Shubman Gill struck a stunning 269 off 387 balls in the second Test against England, becoming the first Indian and Asian captain to score a double century in a Test match on English soil. The 24-year-old’s knock helped India post a massive 587 in their first innings at Edgbaston.
After the innings, Gill revealed that he had stopped enjoying his batting due to the constant pressure to score runs. Speaking to the host broadcaster, he said he made key technical changes and returned to his basics ahead of the series.
“At the end of the IPL and before this series, I worked a lot on my initial movement and setup. I felt I was consistently scoring 30-40 runs in Tests but was missing the peak concentration period,” Gill said.
He explained that focusing too much on converting starts made him forget the joy of batting. “So in this series, I tried to bat like I did in my childhood. I didn’t worry about milestones. I just wanted to enjoy batting again.”
Gill’s 269 is now the highest score by an Indian batter in England, surpassing Sunil Gavaskar’s 221 at The Oval in 1979. It is also the highest score by an Indian Test captain, beating Virat Kohli’s 254* against South Africa in 2019.
Reflecting on his slow start in the innings, Gill said he was struggling to score freely before he spoke with head coach Gautam Gambhir during the break. “At tea, I was on 35-40 off 100 balls. I told GG bhai it wasn’t easy to score. But I wanted to stay in and not give it away.”
He emphasized the need to play long innings, especially with the risk of a lower-order collapse, as seen in the previous Test. “My mindset was simple. If the pitch is good, I’ll stay and make the bowlers get me out with a good ball.”
Gill also shared that he began his red-ball preparation during the IPL, practicing with the red ball in Ahmedabad while playing for Gujarat Titans. He said switching formats, especially from T20 to Test cricket, required a complete mental and technical shift.
“It’s hard to switch from T20 to Tests. That’s why I started training early. It helped me tune my instincts back to red-ball cricket,” he explained.
On India’s bowling performance, Gill praised the bowlers for reducing England to 77/3. He said the key would be to frustrate the batters and limit their scoring areas.
“When the ball gets older, it’s harder to get wickets. So we want to be consistent and force mistakes. That will be crucial for our success in this match,” he said.
Shubman Gill’s return to form and joy at the crease has not only lifted India’s batting but also sent a strong message that a clear mind and technical discipline can revive any slump in performance.
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