'He is making the difference to his side's fortunes...': Sunil Gavaskar hails Shubman Gill for 'fantastic' batting display in fifth Test

Despite falling 21 runs behind Sunil Gavaskar's record of most runs scored by an Indian batter in a Test series, Shubman Gill's batting performances were nothing short of incredible in the series against England. Gavaskar's record of 774 runs was well within sight for the 25-year-old, however he ended up getting dismissed for just 11 runs on the first delivery of second session on Day 3.

Gill missed out on the record by a whisker

The India captain finished with a total of 754 runs under his belt from 10 innings in the five-match series against England. This is now the second-highest run-tally for an Indian batter in a Test series behind Gavaskar's tally of 774 runs in a series against West Indies in 1971.

Gavaskar, who had presented Gill with a signed cap and shirt after the conclusion of Day 3, highlighted how big of an achievement it is for an Indian batter to score over 750 runs in a Test series. He further pointed out that not only did Gill have the responsibility of scoring runs with the bat, but also had to fulfill his duties as the captain.

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“Well, yes, in anticipation of him going past my record, I had gotten something for him. This is all in God's hands. But 754 runs, it's fantastic. The difference is that 754 runs have come with him having the additional responsibility of being the captain,” Gavaskar said on Sony Sports Network.

“Mine, I was the baby of the team, it wouldn't have mattered. If I failed, nobody would have given a hoot. As the captain, to score 754 runs. More than 750 runs, where he is making the difference to his side's fortunes. Don't go by those 20 runs, just see what those 754 runs have done for Indian cricket,” he added.

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Even though Gill failed to contribute much with the bat in the penultimate Test and got dismissed for scores of 21 and 11 in the first and second innings respectively, the impact that he had towards the side during the series cannot be understated. He wrapped up the five-match assignment with four hundreds and a blistering average of 75.40. This series will be a major confidence booster for Gill and it will be interesting to see how he performs with the bat in future Test assignments.