Shubman Gill is a world-class player with a bright future: Jonathan Trott
New Delhi, July 3 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Former England batter Jonathan Trott was full of praise for captain Shubman Gill’s commanding innings on the opening day of the second Test at Edgbaston. Trott described Gill as a world-class player with a promising future.
Defying pressure and challenging English conditions, Gill slammed his second consecutive Test century on his first leadership assignment. Gill remained unbeaten on 114 along with Ravindra Jadeja (41 not out) to take India’s total to 310/5 at stumps on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old became just the second Indian captain after Mohammad Azharuddin to score hundreds in consecutive Tests in England. The Indian captain has been on a purple patch and achieved his highest Test score of 147 in the series opener in Leeds. Currently, he is among the leading run-scorers in the series with over 250 runs and counting in just three innings which is yet to be completed.
“Carse has a bit more pace than Chris Woakes, but what’s impressive is Gill’s understanding of how to counter both. He knows Woakes will try to attack the stumps, and without express pace, Gill formulated a plan to handle that — not something he came up with on the day, but a strategy clearly thought out well in advance. This is what separates good players from average ones — and world-class players from the rest. Having the confidence to execute a plan that’s not necessarily textbook, but gives you an edge over the opposition, is remarkable,” Trott said on JioHotstar’s ‘Match Centre Live’.
“As captain, that has a significant impact — not just out in the middle, but also for those watching from the team balcony. What also stood out was his body language and the way he scored his runs. His control against the English bowlers sent a message to the dressing room — that he was taking charge, leading from the front. His intent was clear: ‘I’ll be there, I’ll be not out, and I’ll resume tomorrow. I’ll make sure we get into a winning position.’ Very impressive from such a young man — a world-class player with a bright future.”
Gill was not the only star performer for India as opener Yashasvi Jaiswal also navigated the early tough conditions to complete his 11th Test half-century. He missed out on his much-deserved sixth century in the format after being dismissed for 87 by Ben Stokes.
Commenting on Jaiswal’s knock, Trott said he was “very impressive and a fantastic player for India”.
“There was a bit of a contrast — some play and misses, but also some exquisite cricket shots. We’ve spoken about how he tends to chase the ball outside off at times, but when he plays straight, he times the ball so well. He doesn’t need to over-hit. We’ve seen him dismantle bowling attacks before, and he’s shown he can hit sixes almost at will. But across these three innings in England, he seems to be in much better control. He’s developed a game plan — he knows where and when to score. England will try to challenge that with tricky field placements, testing his patience and ego. But overall, very impressive. He’s a fantastic player for India,” the former batter said.
Trott urged India to maintain intensity and capitalise on their strong position heading into Day 2.
“India won’t need any reminders about the collapses they’ve had in recent Tests. For me, the coaching staff — who’ve done a brilliant job across formats — will be reinforcing one key message: don’t switch off. Once you feel you’ve done enough, reset and go again. You’ve got to bat five more sessions and really build a platform — either bat England out of the game or create three or four sessions of scoreboard pressure. They’re in a position to do it. The captain, Jaiswal, Jadeja — they’ve all worked incredibly hard. Now, they need to press on and make it count.”
