“I would accept getting out playing a shot” - Shubman Gill discloses mindset change that has made a massive difference to his game 

In-form Team India batter Shubman Gill has revealed that a major mindset change has helped him overcome the habit of getting out in the 40s and 50s. The opener explained that there was a phase when he was becoming too cautious after getting a start, leading to his downfall.

Gill was India’s star performer on Day 3 of the Ahmedabad Test against Australia on Saturday, March 11. The 23-year-old scored an elegant 128 off 235 balls, hitting 12 fours and a six. Courtesy of the right-handed batter’s wonderful knock, India went to stumps at 289/3, responding to Australia’s first-innings total of 480.

While Gill has been in exceptional form lately, there was a period in between when he was struggling in the red-ball format and was unable to convert starts into big knocks. In eight Tests between February 2021 and July 2022, he managed only 320 runs, averaging 22.85 with a best of 52.

At a press conference following the third day’s play in Ahmedabad, Gill opened up on where he was going wrong. He explained:

“There was a phase in between where I was scoring 40s and 50s. In the one match in England, I scored some 20 runs (first innings) and then get out early in the second innings. I feel I was getting over-defensive after getting set. I was getting very cautious about converting starts into big scores.”

The right-handed batter felt that he was putting too much pressure on himself, forcing him to play in a different manner. Gill elaborated:

“That is not my game. After I get set, I find my rhythm. I was getting out by not playing my natural game. During that phase, all my dismissals came while defending.

"I would accept getting out playing a shot, but getting out while playing a kind of game that is not mine was not acceptable to me. It was more of a mental think. I had to keep telling myself to bat in a free-flowing manner.”

An injury to Rohit Sharma during the tour of Bangladesh gave Gill another opportunity to open in Tests. He grabbed it and notched up his maiden ton for India in the format in Chattogram.

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“Don’t think I had performed as well” - Gill on KL Rahul being preferred ahead of him

Of late, there has been a massive debate in Indian cricket circles over who should open with Rohit in Test cricket - Gill or KL Rahul? The latter was the preferred choice until he was dropped for the Indore Test following a prolonged lean spell.

Sharing his views, Gill admitted that he hadn’t done well enough in Test matches to retain his place. He commented:

“I got out of the team when I got injured after the World Test Championship in 2021. KL bhai came in and he did really well for us. He scored a century in England. To be honest, I don’t think I performed as well in Test cricket up to that point.

“(I was just) trying to get better at certain areas that I wanted to work on. If you are doing the right things, you will get your chance. Then, it’s just about performing.”

Rahul registered a highest score of 20 in the first two Tests against Australia, before being dropped for the match in Indore.