Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh lauded Shubman Gill after the latter smashed a hundred on his Test captaincy debut for India. Batting at the No.4 slot, which Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli made their own, the right-handed batter smashed the England bowlers all around the park on Day 1 of the first Test at Headingley, Leeds, and as a result, he notched up his first Test century in SENA countries.
Gill batted in his natural style, and he didn't curb his instincts as he went after the bowling immediately upon arriving at the crease. He did not let the likes of Brydon Carse, Ben Stokes, Josh Tongue and Chris Woakes dictate terms to him and as a result, he made full merry of the favourable batting conditions.
Yuvraj, who shares a close bond with Gill, congratulated him on social media, saying the 25-year-old understands what true responsibility truly is. He also said that Gill let his bat do all the talking, and that's the way to do so.
"Some things clearly are written in the stars. Congratulations @ShubmanGill on your first overseas century as Test captain. You clearly understand what a serious responsibility it is, and you’ve let your bat do all the talking. Well done, and here’s to many more! #INDvsENG," Yuvraj wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
{{/usCountry}}"Some things clearly are written in the stars. Congratulations @ShubmanGill on your first overseas century as Test captain. You clearly understand what a serious responsibility it is, and you’ve let your bat do all the talking. Well done, and here’s to many more! #INDvsENG," Yuvraj wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
{{/usCountry}}Several questions were raised about Gill's performance in overseas matches heading into the Headingley Test. Before the Test in Headingley, Gill had yet to score a century in SENA countries. However, he proved his critics wrong in style.
Former India batter Subramaniam Badrinath also lauded Gill for his marvellous century against England. Talking about how the 25-year-old is the new ‘King’, he wrote, “Prince. King. #ShubmanGill.”
India dominate proceedings on Day 1
After being asked to bat first, India dominated proceedings on Day 1 as the visitors reached the score of 359/3 at Stumps. Gill and Rishabh Pant are unbeaten on 127 and 65, respectively.
Earlier, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal put on 91 runs for the opening wicket. Brydon Carse broke the opening partnership as he dismissed Rahul (42). Ben Stokes then soon dismissed debutant Sai Sudharsan for a duck.
However, Gill and Jaiswal added 129 runs for the third wicket to revive India's innings. The latter scored his fifth Test ton, but he was eventually dismissed by Ben Stokes.
India captain Gill was then joined in by wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, and the duo mixed caution with aggression to keep the England pacers at bay. Both batters ensured that India did not lose any more wickets before the close of play on Day 1.