Shubman Gill put on a show with the bat for India on Day 3 of the fourth Test against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Opening the innings, Gill slammed 128 off 235 balls to take the hosts to 289/3 at stumps on Day 3 in reply to Australia’s first innings total of 480. It was his second hundred in the longest format and his maiden Test ton on home soil.

Speaking after the day’s play, Gill said he doesn’t have a problem if he gets dismissed while playing his natural attacking game but what bothered him was getting out while playing a defensive shot.

“There was phase in the middle when I was scoring 40s and 50s (52 and 44 against New Zealand in 2021) and getting out and when I played the one-off fifth Test in England, I scored some 20 odd (17) and I got out early in that innings,” Gill said while recalling lean patch in his 15-Test career.

“I got a feeling that as soon as I was getting set, I was getting over-defensive and over-cautious. I was thinking now that I have got set, I will have to bat as long as possible. I was putting myself under too much pressure and that is not my game.

“Once I get set, then I get into a sort of rhythm and that’s my game. So I had to tell myself that if I get dismissed while playing my natural game, then it is fine. But problem was I was getting out playing the type of game that doesn’t come naturally to me,” he explained.

The main problem was him trying to play defensive game after getting set.

“If I get out trying to play a shot after getting set, I can accept that dismissal, because that’s a shot and my execution wasn’t proper. But if I get out playing a game which isn’t my style then it became unacceptable to me,” Gill stated.

“So I had to tell myself that I shouldn’t put too much pressure on myself when a situation like this arises next time, that I must convert now that I am set. I needed to keep it a bit free-flowing. It was more about mental make up and I focussed on that primarily.”

Gill felt that the Ahmedabad track wasn’t easy for fluent run-scoring.

“I think on wickets like these, it is difficult to score runs fluently but it is also important that on these wickets you need to be positive and keep looking for those singles.”

Shubman Gill’s knock was studded with 12 fours and 1 six. The highlight of his innings was some of the on-drives he played with a straight bat.

“I think one of those shots that automatically develops when you play bouncer. I am used to playing bouncers with a plastic ball on cement surfaces and the balls which were a little fuller.

“It developed as I practised it over and over (again) and it was more instinctive than anything else.”

Gill said on a track like this one needs to train his mind not to play cross batted shots.

“You have to remind yourself constantly that things are going well because there was a phase where we didn’t hit a boundary for the longest time and at that time, you had to tell yourself that its okay if you are not getting runs now but if you stick to your processes then there will be an over where you will get 2-3 boundaries.

“So process is not to lose patience, you can get out but also you might be able to get boundaries.”

(With PTI Inputs)