Parthiv Patel lauds Gill’s grit and runs in drawn England series

Former India wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel has praised Shubman Gill for his remarkable batting performances during the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, saying the young Test skipper responded to every challenge with a run-scoring masterclass.

Gill, leading India for the first time in a Test series, emerged as the highest run-scorer in the five-match contest in England, which ended in a 2-2 draw. The 24-year-old scored 754 runs in 10 innings at an average of 75.40, including four centuries, and was named India’s Player of the Series.

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“Four centuries, an average of 75.40, and more than 750 runs, all scored across different conditions,” said Patel on JioHotstar. “Earlier, when he walked out to bat, there were questions: Will he be able to perform in the SENA countries? Can he deliver consistently? But look at the answers he’s given. 147 runs in the first innings at Headingley.”

“In the second innings, people said he threw his wicket away after that big score. Then came 269 runs in the first innings at Edgbaston. Again, the talk was that it might prove to be less, but he followed it up with 161 in the second innings,” he added.

Patel also addressed the scrutiny Gill faced despite his consistent form.

“In the third Test, he got out early in both innings, and questions about his form began again, even though he had already scored 430 runs in the previous match. And then came that hundred in Manchester, in a match India needed to draw. Whenever there’s been a challenge, whenever questions have been asked, Gill has answered them perfectly with his bat.”

The former cricketer also highlighted the vital role Ravindra Jadeja played with the bat, underscoring his consistent contributions lower down the order. Jadeja finished the series with 516 runs, including five fifties and a crucial unbeaten century in the fourth Test at Manchester.

“The value of the 516 runs scored by Jadeja increases significantly because, in the first Test match, India suffered two batting collapses. That’s when the contribution of batters at number six and seven becomes crucial and Ravindra Jadeja’s name naturally comes up, as he occupies that position,” Patel said.

“After that, there wasn’t a single batting collapse in the rest of the series. The way he batted and the consistency he showed were extremely important for India. What applies to KL Rahul in this regard also applies to Ravindra Jadeja, it’s vital for a senior player to stand up in such moments, and Jadeja has done exactly that in this series,” he concluded.