“Honestly, I’ll sum it up in one line. My heartbeat playing the first ball and playing my last ball was the same. Yes, my heartbeat was the same. My heartbeat was the same throughout my innings. That’s how nervous I was feeling even after scoring 104.”

These were the words of Shubman Gill after he scored a crucial hundred, not just for the team, but for himself as well as India ended up winning the Vizag Test.

A lot of expectations have been put on Gill since his U-19 days, when he stood out from the rest of the pack with his century against Pakistan in a high-pressure semi-final. The player’s talent had shined through the entirety of 2023, where he ended up as the highest run-getter in ODIs and scored a century in all formats of the game.

Tests are always considered to be the litmus test for a player of Gill’s calibre and that was where he started to falter a bit. He went 12 innings without a fifty, coming at the famous No.3 position, once occupied by Cheteshwar Pujara.

Replacing Pujara is never easy, but Gill seemed to be cracking under the weight of expectations as fans and pundits were showing their frustration. However, the Indian team management always trusted in the ability of the player.

Batting coach Vikram Rathour was the first to announce that the backroom staff was firmly behind the young star and even claimed that he was due for a ‘big innings.’

After Gill delivered on that prophecy from Rathour, head coach Rahul Dravid came in to show his appreciation as well as backing for the 24-year-old.

We know the quality of Shubman Gill: Dravid

When it comes to knowing the pressure and challenges associated with the number three spot, there is no better person to explain than Dravid himself. The Indian coach score over 10,000 runs from the spot, which he handed over to Pujara when he stepped away.

As the coach now, Dravid showed his class by showing his appreciation for the work Gill did at the spot for India in Vizag, especially during a crucial juncture in the game.

The Indian coach, during the press conference, admitted that Gill was under pressure externally, but within the team, the confidence level in the 24-year-old didn’t dip. Dravid claimed that the quality of Gill is well-documented and pointed out the key knocks he played during the lean phase.

“He came into the Test match under pressure externally, internally we have a lot of confidence in Shubman. We know his class and his ability, We’ve seen it. We’ve seen how good a player he’s been.”

” Even in this lean run. He’s the one who’s got us 100 at Chittagong. He got 100 in Ahmedabad. So we know that quality. But of course, I mean, as a young player from whom a lot is expected, I think he did feel the pressure. So happy with the way he played,” said Dravid.

While Gill may have admitted he was nervous during his hundred, the team management is behind him and hoping that this is the end of his slump in the No.3 spot. Dravid and his staff have given Gill the long rope to succeed, as they can see the talent he possesses.

While what happens in Rajkot when both the teams is yet to be written, the team management’s hope is firmly in Gill to be their new ‘wall’ at No.3.

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