NEWS
Follow UsIndia are 2-1 ahead in the ongoing series against England and what made the result commendable is the fact that India achieved it without the services of some of their first-choice players. Youngsters have stepped up to do the job pretty well, and with KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah now being ruled out of the fourth Test in Ranchi, their roles have become even more important.
While acknowledging the fact that not having Virat Kohli or Jasprit Bumrah is going to be a telling factor, Shubman Gill stated that India are going to the game full of confidence.
"Like I talked about Virat bhai, if a player in the class of Boom bhai is not playing, any team will miss him, especially since he leads our fast-bowling attack. But if you look at it, Siraj took four wickets in crucial times in the last match. So, I think, all the pacers have enough experience in Indian conditions, especially bowling reverse swing," Gill said in the press conference in Ranchi.
"Virat bhai is not with us for the last three Tests, and yes, the absence of a player of his class makes a bit of difference. But I think Sarfaraz came in and played well. So, I think players are doing well in the opportunities that they are getting.
"The young players have got the opportunity because Virat bhai or Bumrah bhai are not there. So, those youngsters also know that this opportunity might not remain with them for long, so they are trying to give their best in every opportunity," he noted.
In the past, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sarfaraz Khan have come under fire for their disciplinary issues, but Gill refused to state that modern young players are not humble.
"I don't think there is a problem with youngsters being not humble. Yashasvi Jaiswal scored double tons in back to back match. You know, if you don't have it (talent) then you will not be scoring back-to-back double hundreds.
"Not many in world cricket have scored back-to-back double hundreds. He definitely is a sensational player. We have seen it over eight or nine Tests. I don't think there is any conscious decision, maybe Rohit bhai did not want to talk about it at that point in time," the Punjab batter added.
On a personal front, Gill has had a roller-coaster ride in the last couple of years. While he has firmly established himself as one of the most successful batters in the limited-overs format of the game, his Test career hasn't gone the way he would have liked to. However, in the last two matches, with a century and a 91, Gill has somehow managed to bring himself back into the reckoning even though a lot still needs to be done. When he was asked about how the last two innings have given him confidence, the Indian No.3 added that he still has the same mindset regarding his own expectations.
"There is always disappointment but it was more within myself and regarding my own expectations. The outside noise didn't really bother me. What's important in such situations is to make the best use of the next opportunity. You have to forget the past and just focus on the next ball. The difference between a good player and an average player is in how quickly they can forget the previous innings whether good/bad and move forward. Players who are able to do this easily are those who are great players," Gill said.
"Expectations you always have from yourself. You obviously want to contribute and want to be there for the team as much as possible. I still have the same mindset as I did earlier. It's all about putting the past behind you and reacting to the current situation."
Did he have to make any technical adjustments after he was dropped down to No.3 position after initially opening for India?
"I have batted at no.3/no.4 for the A side and also in domestic cricket. So it's not something that I haven't done in my life. Not a lot of technical changes that I have done to my game, but yes there is a difference opening and batting at 3. It's different when you are opening the innings, as there is not time to think much. It's you who are setting the tone while if you are batting in the middle order or top order at 3/4, you have to play the situation," Gill added.
