Indian team’s batting coach Vikram Rathour praised young opener Shubman Gill and called him an amazing batsman, who came prepared for all questions on the recent tour of Australia. Gill scored 259 runs in 3 Tests at an average of 51.80 with his highest score of 91 coming in the historic series-winning victory in the Brisbane Test.
Rathour shared that when he went to Gill with a question: “What are your thoughts about the short ball?” the Punjab batsman surprised him with his planning.
“The clarity of his plans surprised me. If somebody bowls the short ball at this line and height, this is what I am going to do. If they bowl it from the end where the boundary was shorter, I will pull it for a six,” Rathour shared during a chat on R Ashwin’s YouTube channel.
“He had all the answers, he knew what he was going to do. I had nothing to say to him. I said, ‘boss, just carry on, you are sorted,” he added.
Ashwin added to the Shubman Gill story and said, “And you said, he said, if it’s below my height I will hit here – and I was blown away thinking somebody was able to pick the length, height, line and then also have plans covered for it. That was unreal. I am a big fan of him but that was unreal to know.”
When the Indians were on the field and trying to bowl the lower order out, Ashwin remembered Gill ran up to him.
“Ash bhai, Jaldi khatam kar do yaar! 40-50 runs hoga toh, mein paanch over mein khatam karoonga! (Please wrap up quickly. If it’s 40-50 runs to chase, I will do it in five overs!). I was like, ‘wow, this is unreal man. We have a debutant who is walking up to say ‘khatam karo, finish it’ and I will finish in five overs and that too in a Test match!” Ashwin said.
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Rathour pointed out that Gill prepared for the tour with his planning during the lockdown.
“I had called for discussions with all the batsmen during the lockdown. With other batters, we came up with plans, talked about what the bowlers might bowl at them, and worked out plans. But Gill had already sorted that out. The first thing he said was he was already practicing short ball as he was thinking about the Australian tour.
He was telling me what he thought about Lyon, what are his plans going to be … That kind of clarity is unique when you know what you are going to do. He is a special player,” the India batting coach said.
