Shubman Gill brings back the wow factor
The opener’s player of the series showing in West Indies will serve a reminder, every time the selectors meet in lead up to next year’s ODI World Cup
Shubman Gill is only 11 Tests and 6 ODIs into his international career and yet to make his T20I debut. But he’s been in our consciousness ever since he set the U19 World Cup stage on fire in 2018. To domestic connoisseurs, even earlier, 2017 onwards where he began to impress in the first-class circuit as a 17-year-old. One could go further back to his age-group days, but you get the drift. The Punjab batter has been touted to be the next big thing from a young age, an estimation that’s born out of a certain wow factor, not runs alone.

His bottom-handed technique was loosely likened to Virat Kohli. But it’s his back-foot game - cuts and punches on the off-side, his tennis forehand-like pulls against the short ball where he sends the ball squarer than finer that catch the eye. After Gill’s player of the series showing against West Indies, captain Shikhar Dhawan gave him another high honour. “He’s a classy player. I think he has got a bit of Rohit (Sharma) touch in him. He’s got a lot of time, the way he bats,” he said.
Yet, as his current 'reserve-India batter' status shows, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Gill has had to nurse some mental bruises from strong counter-punches at the Test level from high-quality bowling; has had his front-foot technique tested. The T20 strike rate debate follows him wherever he plays, although Gujarat Titans seemed to be happier with his approach. But ODIs offer relief to today's burned-out batters, where they are allowed to slowly find their feet back. Gill certainly found his during the 3 matches in the Caribbean – 205 runs, avg 102.5.
His 98* in the rain-curtailed 3rd ODI on Wednesday was an innings of two halves. 51 runs off 65 balls before the rains arrived after over 24. He then added 47 more in 33 balls after the interval, as India switched to T20 mode. In the series, Gill looked to generally bat aggressively in the powerplay, but the extra breathing space that ODIs offer certainly got the best out of him. It put on show the splendour of his lofted shots over the spinners head, the check drives to the pacers, and seldom were the bowlers able to trouble him. “I was hoping that I would get one more over,” Gill said on his missed hundred after rains cut short India’s batting innings. After being disappointed with his mode of dismissals in the first two matches, Gill said he ‘tried to play according to the ball (merits) and let instincts take over.”
Together with Shikhar Dhawan, the opening duo put on two century stands. But India will keep the context in mind, these came against a West Indies team that has now lost 9 ODI matches in a row.
Dhawan’s regular opening partner is Sharma, there’s the injured KL Rahul, too. Add Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan to the list and India has a problem of plenty. But Gill’s dazzling show will serve as a reminder every time the selectors meet in lead up to next year’s ODI World Cup.
NET GAINS
In other gains, Mohammed Siraj was impressive with the new ball, his two wickets in the second over of the day breaking the back of West Indies in the 3rd ODI. “He is a quality bowler and has developed a strong belief. I like that he wants to set his own fields. With the two wickets he took, he knew what he wanted to do. He backs himself,” said Dhawan. “Well done to Siraj with the way he is bowling, his pace, the bouncers he is delivering, being able to swing the ball on here where others are not.”
Deepak Hooda would have liked to have made better use of the batting opportunities but with his off-spin, he didn’t look anywhere like a part-timer, bowling with equal control against left and right-handers. Rolling his arm over for 18 overs in 3 matches, bowling effectively in the powerplay, Hooda’s multi-skilled avatar will help him push his case in the future. Yuzvendra Chahal again kept the wickets column busy, Axar Patel produced a match-winning batting show in the second match and Dhawan made sure he got a stump signed by his team-mates to keep as a souvenir - this was his 2nd series as India captain.
