Team India captain Shubman Gill's Gujarat Titans (GT) teammate, Jos Buttler revealed an aspect of the former's training ahead of the third Test between England and India. The third Test is set to begin on Thursday, July 10, at the iconic Lord's.
Talking about what Shubman Gill would be doing to prepare for the next game between Tests, Buttler spoke about the drills the Indian captain would go through during the IPL.
"Whatever he's doing is working. So I'd be like I want the same guy to give me throwdowns, want to do the same routine that I did. Having played a little bit with him in the IPL, he does a lot of basic drills and does a lot of underarm drills, just grooving his shape. You'd think why would a Test cricketer be doing underarm drills but it's just the muscle memory, moving into the right positions, hitting the ball late, that's something he talks about a lot and practices a lot. Hit the ball to the ground and let the ball come to him, which is a trait of all the best players. He'll be doing lot of those kind of drills," he said on the 'For The Love Of Cricket' Podcast.
Buttler further pointed out that Shubman Gill has scored nearly the same amount of runs in just two Tests (585) as Virat Kohli had in the entire series (593) during the 2018 tour. He also spoke about how Gill's father had been an influential figure and a coach to him during his early days.
"We hope as England fans that he doesn't go on and break more records. We need to find answers to get him out. As a batter when you're in that space you feel untouchable. You want to keep that momentum and energy on your side. Stay in that bubble. His dad has been quite influential and been a coach of his while growing up so I'm sure he's got a couple of phone calls from him saying keep playing. He'll be someone who he'll be turning to and leaning on for his game," he stated. (45:40)
In just his second Test as captain, Gill smashed a double hundred (269) in the first innings and followed it up with another big hundred (161) in the second.
Shubman Gill is a better player than his records, reckons Jos Buttler
In the same conversation, Jos Buttler also pointed out that while there was a lot of talk about Shubman Gill's records ahead of the series, he was a better player than what his records show.
"The sort of hunger and determination from Gill to score a massive double and then to come out again in the second innings. Becoming captain, there's a lot talked about his record. He's a better player than his records show and he's changed it around quickly. It doesn't look like he's got any technical deficiencies at the moment. Jofra Archer will be coming back. He got Shubman bowled in the IPL, nipping it back through the gate. That kind of always felt like the area (to bowl to him)," he reflected. (9:14)
Buttler added that Shubman Gill had appeared in control throughout the series and got all the answers at the moment. The Indian captain has certainly led from the front, playing a huge role in the visitors leveling the series 1-1 heading into the third Test at Lord's.
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