While Indian captain Shubman Gill broke several records with his knock of 269 runs in the first innings against England in the second Test at Edgbaston, the 25-year-old also missed the chance to become only the third Indian batsman to score a Test triple hundred. Gill, who became the first Indian test captain to hit a double hundred in England, spoke about how his father, Lakhwinder Gill, praised his knock but also reminded him that he had missed his triple century.
“It means a lot coming from him. But he did also tell me that I missed my triple century. Hopefully, we’ll end this match on a great note,” shared Gill while talking with BCCI in a video released on BCCI’s social media on Friday.
Gill, who became the 26th Indian cricketer to hit a Test double hundred, also became the first Asian captain to score a double hundred in a Test match in England with his 387-ball knock of 269. It also meant that he madethe highest Individual score by an Indian batsman in England as he surpassed Sunil Gavaskar’s 221 scored at the Oval in 221. His knock is also the highest-ever Test score by an Indian captain as he surpassed Virat Kohli’s unbeaten score of 254 against South Africa in 2019.
In the video, Gill makes the viewers listen to an audio by his father, Lakhwinder Gill, who is heard sharing his delight over Gill’s knock. “Well played, I enjoyed watching your batting, and my heart was at peace. You were batting like in your childhood U16 and U19 days and your batting felt that way— I felt very proud,” says Lakhwinder in the audio. Gill’s mother, Keart Kaur Gill too is heard in the audio. “Felt amazing watching you bat, keep going, God bless you,” says the proud mother.
While it was Gill’s highest First Class score surpassing his knock of 268 for Punjab against Tamil Nadu in 2018, it was Gill’s first Test double hundred. The 25-year-old has previously scored six Test hundreds in his Test career. The Indian captain also talked about how his father and friend Khushpreet Aulakh are the only two people whom he listens to in terms of his cricket. “This message means a lot to me. I think, growing up, I played almost all of my cricket for my dad, in the sense that it was because of him that I started playing. And the only person besides him is my best friend, whom I practised with. These are the only two people, when it comes to my cricket, that I care about and that I listen to,” shared Gill in the video.