Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Form is temporary but class is permanent. These are two phrases that resonated in every cricket follower's mind after India batter Shubman Gill ended his slump with the bat in Test cricket and registered a stupendous century on Day 3 of the ongoing second Test against England in Visakhapatnam. Gill's marvelous effort with the bat couldn't have come at a better time, both in terms of his confidence which had taken a deep dive after a string of failures, and also for the team which was desperate for their young star to dig them out from a hole.Β
The moment arrived in the 52nd over when Gill gently knocked Shoaib Bashir's delivery on the on side and finally breathed a sigh of relief. The stylish batter took 132 balls to complete his century and he did so with the help of 11 fours and two sixes.Β
It was for the 3rd time that Gill had reached the magical three-figure mark in Test cricket and it was thoroughly deserved.Β
Under pressure, Shubman Gill delivers the goods for India
Shubman Gill's recent form had become a focal point of scrutiny following his disappointing performances in the ongoing Test series against England. In the first Test at Hyderabad and during the first innings of the second Test in Visakhapatnam, Gill struggled to leave a mark.Β
In this series, Gill had managed to gather just 57 runs over three innings, with scores that include a duck and 23 in Hyderabad, followed by 34 in Visakhapatnam before breaking the shackles in his fourth knock of the series. This lackluster performance had fueled debates regarding his place in the team for future matches.
Before his latest century, Gill's output had been modest in his last seven Tests, totaling 207 runs at an average of 18.81.Β
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