Shubman Gill revitalized his India career by scoring a captivating century against England on Day 3 of the 2nd Test in Visakhapatnam. Batting at No. 3, he ended an 11-month hiatus with his impressive knock of 104, playing a vital role in India’s second innings total of 255. This set a challenging 399-run target for England.
Interestingly, the Vizag Test was crucial for Gill as it represented his last opportunity to prove himself. Another failure would have led to his exclusion from the squad. Gill’s Test career was hanging by a thread before the 3rd Test, with just two innings remaining to determine whether he would continue with the Indian team or return to play Ranji Trophy for Punjab.
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Surprising as it may seem, Shubman Gill faced an ultimatum before the Vizag Test. As per media reports, Gill was given a perform-or-perish directive. Despite being touted as India’s emerging batting superstar, Gill had been grappling with a dip in form since recovering from dengue. The first half of 2023 had been promising for Gill, with numerous centuries and winning the IPL 2023 Orange Cap. However, as the year progressed, his form declined, jeopardizing his position in the Test XI. In response to this, the team management demoted Gill to No. 3 and elevated the young Yashasvi Jaiswal as the opener.
