WATCH: Ravi Shastri expresses his views on Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill ahead of Day 2 of ENG vs IND 2nd Test
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri said something about Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill before the start of Day 2 of the Edgbaston Test. Let’s know what he said.
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The second Test match of the India vs England series is being played at Edgbaston, Birmingham. Even though India lost the toss, they performed well by batting first. By the end of Day 1, India scored 310 runs for the loss of 5 wickets. Shubman Gill is unbeaten on 114 runs, while Ravindra Jadeja is not out on 41 runs at the other end.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri said that Shubman Gill has a personality that is completely opposite to Virat Kohli. However, he believes that the Test captain would still want someone like Kohli to fire up the team during this five-match series against England, which hasn’t started well for the visitors.
India will need to move away from their safe team selections and give themselves the best chance to take 20 wickets, especially as the pitch in the second Test is expected to favour batting again.
Coming in at number four, Shubman Gill showed great responsibility and patience. He looked determined and played a solid innings to remain unbeaten on 114 runs off 216 balls, hitting 12 boundaries.
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Ravi Shastri said that India would be quite happy with their position at the end of Day 1. He added that the 99-run partnership between Gill and Jadeja helped India recover from a tricky situation. However, he also mentioned that India will need at least another 150 runs from this point.
Shastri said that if England had taken more wickets when India were 211 for 5, the game could have gone in a different direction. But Gill’s performance stood out. He praised Gill’s discipline, saying he looked very strong and focused at the crease.
Ravi Shastri talking about on Virat Kohli & Shubman Gill. 👑 (Sky Sports Cricket). pic.twitter.com/vGDVDTN7u5
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He also pointed out that Gill has worked a lot on his defence. When he last toured England, he used to play with hard hands and pushed at the ball, similar to how Virat Kohli played. But now, Gill uses his top hand better, waits for the ball, trusts his defence, and has all the attacking shots when needed.
Shastri said that the Gill-Jadeja partnership, with Jadeja unbeaten on 41, needs to continue in the first hour on Day 2. He said India can afford to lose just one wicket in that session to stay in control. On the other hand, if England take a couple of early wickets, they will have a great chance to stop India from scoring big.
He also added that the team needs a few players with strong energy. He mentioned Rishabh Pant as someone who brings noise and energy behind the stumps and said it would be great if more players like him are developed.
There was a question before the match about Jasprit Bumrah’s availability. Gill said on Wednesday that a final decision would be taken after looking at the pitch. At the toss on Thursday, Gill confirmed that Bumrah had been rested for the match.
Shastri said he was surprised by the decision to rest Bumrah, saying he should not have been given the choice to sit out of such an important Test.
India have been going through a tough time in Test cricket since October 2024. In their last nine matches, they have won only once, which is their worst run in more than ten years.
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