Shubman Gill reveals why he faced the first ball in Test cricket only once in his career

Shubman Gill is the rising star in Indian cricket. He has managed to impress one and all with his stability in batting and determination while pacing an inning. The right-handed opening batter has so far played seven Tests and three One-Day Internationals (ODIs), scoring 378 and 49 runs, respectively.

Gill has smashed three half-centuries in the longest format of the game, with 91 being his highest score – which came against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21. His opening combination with the veteran Rohit Sharma has been successful, especially in red-ball cricket.

Gill is currently in Southampton with the other team members, preparing for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand, starting from June 18. All eyes would be on the 21-year-old as he will take on the challenge of playing in English conditions with Dukes ball against a quality attack that consists of world-class bowlers like Trent Boult and Tim Southee.

Ahead of the summit clash, Gill was interviewed by The Grade Cricketer Show regarding his arrival in Test cricket, heroics in Australia, and the famous episode when he took the strike in a match and never repeated it.

The young star recalled the incident and said he would never take a strike again. It was the fourth Test against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, when Gill decided to face the first ball against the highest wicket-taker of England, James Anderson. The Indian opener could only face three balls before the veteran English pacer outdid him for a duck.

“I don’t know why I said it to him (Rohit Sharma) that I’ll take the strike in this one. I don’t know why I said it. But, obviously, that didn’t work out for me as I got out in the third or the fourth ball for a duck, but that won’t be happening again,” said Gill.