Inside story of Shubman Gill's Test redemption: Three phone calls, shedding ego and a lot of data

Three phone calls changed Shubman Gill’s destiny — one from Steven Smith, another from Kane Williamson, and the most defining, from Sachin Tendulkar. It was the God of cricket’s stern advice that forced Gill to shed his ego, tweak his technique, and script one of the greatest batting series ever by an Indian captain in England

Shubman Gill of India (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

New Delhi: A month before the official announcement, Shubman Gill was told that he was going to be India’s next Test captain. In a meeting with coach Gautam Gambhir, chief selector Ajit Agarkar, and a top cricket administrator, he was informed that he would lead India in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

Shubman Gill's exquisite drives, lofted shots and innovative reverse sweeps in the nets

The 25-year-old couldn’t believe it when the news was broken to him. For a cricketer obsessed with batting, Test captaincy wasn’t something he was expecting, but the men who matter asked him to "dream big" and start preparing for the England tour. Gill knew wearing the captain’s band wasn’t going to be enough — he needed to score runs in Tests. His elevation to captaincy created a stir, with many questioning his place in the XI itself. Right before the start of the IPL, he asked Avinash Kumar, his childhood friend who was with Gujarat Titans as a side-arm thrower, to carry red Dukes balls with him. Avinash was given strict instructions to pitch it full onto the stumps. Gill struggled initially because he was tweaking his technique. Gill had one recurring problem — a slow weight transfer onto the front foot, which created a gap between bat and pad. He had paid for that in the past, even in Indian conditions. It was fascinating how such a small flaw had remained uncorrected for years. There was an air of rigidity because he had scored all his runs with the same technique, and dominated oppositions too. A sense of batting ego had crept in and the flaw remained unattended. But he was aware that something different was required for the tough assignment in England, and a 12-hour-long session followed. Data was the key talking point, and a ten-year sheet was presented to Gill by the people who work closely with him. The result was straightforward — 80% of the runs scored in England during that period were behind square. With a technique where the bat mostly faced towards covers while defending, some immediate tweaks were required. Gill agreed but remained unsure about making drastic changes before his first series as captain. Afraid of failure, he asked those close to him: "What if I fail?" The instant reply from his father Lakhwinder Gill was: "What if you pass and smash all records?" The IPL began, but Gill’s confusion persisted. That’s when three calls were arranged — to Steven Smith, Kane Williamson , and Sachin Tendulkar . All three highlighted his technical issue. Smith spoke mainly on the mental side of batting in England. He guided him about the lengths England pacers would attack and asked him to do shadow practice to create muscle memory before working on technique in the nets. Williamson’s advice was to play close to the body, with gentle hands, and not to chase drives. He told him concentration is key in England — give 45 minutes to the bowlers, and then it’s a feast. Before the call with Sachin Tendulkar, Gill was tense and shivering. The legend noticed it immediately. It is reliably learnt that the Master Blaster calmed him down, cracked a couple of jokes, and shared his experience in England. In the last 15 minutes, he gave a demo of where the bowlers would target him. He explained why a small tweak — making sure the bat faced mid-off — would reduce the gap and turn inside edges, which usually hit the stumps, towards square leg. Those words echoed in Gill’s mind. "Sachin sir bol rahe hain toh galat kaise ho sakta hai (If Sachin Tendulkar is saying it, then something is seriously wrong in my technique — he can’t be wrong)," he said to people in his very close circles. The hard work began in the IPL nets. In his first press conference in England as captain, Gill looked unfazed and surprised everyone when he declared: "When I want to go out there and bat, I want to play as a batter and not think about the captaincy, which can put pressure on me. I want to be the best batter in the series." And he walked the talk, finishing the series with 754 runs. Gill’s 754 runs shattered the previous record of 752 set by Graham Gooch in 1990, the most ever by a batsman in a Test series between India and England. He surpassed Sunil Gavaskar’s 732 runs as captain against West Indies in 1978-79, a record unchallenged for 47 years. Gill not only overtook it but also came within touching distance of Sir Don Bradman’s iconic 810-run mark for a captain in a series. Shubman also broke Virat Kohli ’s record, becoming the first Asian batter to cross 700 runs in a series in SENA countries. His tally of 754 outstripped Kohli’s 692 runs from the 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. To achieve all this, Gill had to battle ego, fix technical flaws — and listen to a stern warning from the God himself. After the highs of the Asia Cup, India’s captain will don the blazer for the first time on home soil on October 2, when his team faces West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. It will be a new challenge for Gill, but now he knows how to shed his ego — and he’s ready to script the next chapter in his career.

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