A couple of minutes after Shubman Gill raced to his fourth century in Test cricket on Friday morning, his father Lakhwinder Singh Gill received a text message from Karsan Ghavri. The former India international, who played a key role in mentoring Gill in his formative years, was elated to see his ward come a long way.
It was a proud moment for Lakhwinder as well. Watching the proceedings from the hospitality box at the picturesque Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, he applauded as Gill took his cap off, swung the bat and celebrated the moment.
True to his reputation, the youngster brought up his ton in style. He put his front leg across for a slog-sweep and smacked it over the unmanned region - a shot that Lakhwinder would ideally not approve of. “But he has been playing this shot for quite a while now,” Lakhwinder said with a smile.
Leading up to the series, Gill had 1040 runs in 20 Tests. He struggled to score runs, but with the team backing him to the hilt, he found his mojo back in Visakhapatnam and has been in fine form since.
However, being a coach, Lakhwinder can’t be satisfied with just a ton. “If you’re satisfied then it’s over for you. Most of all, you should want your team to win, and contribute towards that. He scored that 200 against New Zealand in ODIs, even that did not feel enough since they took the match too close. It is not enough if your team is not winning,” Lakhwinder said.
Gill began his career with India’s red-ball side as an opener but has been batting at No.3 since the 2023 West Indies tour.
But Lakhwinder, who was Gill’s first coach, believes that his son should have stuck to the opening slot. “I think that was a wrong decision. You sit outside and only take pressure on yourself. Step out onto the field, play 10 balls and the pressure is gone.
“I try not to interfere too much with that. I just involve myself with his training, that’s it. At one down, you’re neither an opener nor a middle-order batter, and you are just stuck in the middle,”
“Then his game is also not like that. Like (Cheteshwar) Pujara was suited for the spot who had a defensive game. With the new ball, you get loose deliveries to pounce on. It is said the new ball is tough for the batters, but it is equally difficult for bowlers too. When you go in after 5-10 overs, the bowlers have adjusted as to which length to bowl…”
Though his father has a different opinion, Gill cut out the noise and in the pristine conditions in Dharamsala, he played the aggressor early on, while captain Rohit Sharma anchored the ship from the other end. Even England’s short ball ploy did not work as Gill toyed with them before eventually falling to Jimmy Anderson shortly after lunch.
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill added 171 for the second wicket. | Photo Credit: MOORTHY RV/The Hindu
Over the last few years, there has been a bit of change in Gill’s approach. “If you get runs in a couple of innings, you get confident. It is a game of confidence at the end of the day,” Lakhwinder said. “He started playing at a very young age. He was in the U-16 team at eight, and scored runs too. He scored runs against teams from Jalandhar. And it was all about confidence then also,” he added.
Whenever Gill has a break, Lakhwinder makes it a point to train with him at the PCA Stadium in Mohali and since he features in all three formats, it does get difficult at times to switch to formats quickly.
“Just putting two to three days is enough,” Lakhwinder said. “But the schedules are such these days that you don’t get enough practice with the red ball. It’s all white ball cricket. That’s why playing the spinners with the red ball is not that easy. Hence if you get to play Ranji Trophy, it is good. It gives you confidence…
“Rest, I would say you get a bit of easy runs off loose balls in Ranji Trophy, here in international cricket, that’s not the case…”
The last few years have been quite momentous for Gill. From being another rookie talent, he has gone on to become one of the most sought-after batters in world cricket. Come the IPL and he will also lead the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League, and amid all this, Lakhwinder just has one piece of advice for his son: “Just don’t leave your natural game….”
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