Shubman Gill reveals taking injection before Vizag Test heroics; opens up on father’s reaction to dismissal

A Yashasvi Jaiswal 1st innings masterclass, the Shubman Gill show in the 3rd innings and Jasprit Bumrah’s sensational spell across innings – was the story of India’s 2nd Test win against England at Vishakhapatnam which leveled the 5-match series by 1-1. After the 106-run win, Gill revealed that he had taken an injection to treat finger pain before his 3rd innings heroics of 104 off 147, which helped the Indians post 399 as the target.

Shubman Gill disclosed this piece of information while speaking to Jio Cinema panelists Zaheer Khan and Kevin Pietersen after the 2nd Test concluded earlier today. The 24-year-old was under immense pressure to do something special from the number 3 slot, which had overtaken from Cheteshwar Pujara after India’s World Test Championship 2023 final loss against Australia at the Oval.

Gill went a spot down the order from the opening slot to number 3 since India’s 2-match Test series in West Indies last July. His move facilitated Yashasvi Jaiswal to face the new ball alongside skipper Rohit Sharma and it was Gill’s own decision to take up the 1st down role.

While the move did wonders for Jaiswal’s career, cementing his spot in the Indian playing XI, it was Shubman Gill who had to pay the price. In all of his previous outings as number 3 before the 3rd innings in Vizag, the youngster was not even able to touch the 40-run mark.

His highest score before yesterday was 36 during the series concluding 2nd Test in Cape Town against South Africa. The Fazilka-born batter was struggling with a technical flaw in his batting which constantly pushed him towards giving up his wicket, each time he got off to a good start.

After disappointments in the 1st Hyderabad Test against England, Gill was touted to be dropped from the playing XI for the 2nd Test but all of that was circulating only on social media and not on Rahul Dravid’s mind who backed him to score runs in this series.

“Gill is a fine player. Starting out the journey as a cricketer sometimes…we forget that it takes a little bit of time at times. Some guys have success instantly, actually he is one of those guys who has done really well in some of his early days, especially in Australia,” Rahul Dravid told reporters after 1st Test. 

“I Took An Injection Before Coming Out To Bat”, Shubman Gill Reveals

While speaking to Zaheer Khan and Kevin Pietersen on Jio Cinema, Shubman Gill revealed that he had a lot of pain in his fingers due to the continuous catching he did throughout England’s 1st innings with the bat. Gill had taken as many as 4 catches in the first slip and at mid-wicket and his fingers required some medical attention before coming out to bat.

He also revealed the conversation he had with his father on the morning of day 4, stating that his father told him that he had missed out on a century.

“I took an injection before coming out to bat in the 2nd innings because of getting hit on the fingers.”

“My father told me ‘you’ve missed out on a big century’. I said I agree Papa. Thank God he let me come out of the hotel today,” Shubman Gill said on Jio Cinema.