Shubman Gill, who started his Test career against some of the best fast bowlers in the world, revealed on Sunday that he was intimidated at first by bouncer deliveries, but later that he had overcome his fears. Gill hit the big stage with a brilliant 91-run innings that laid the foundation for a spectacular victory on the final day of the decisive fourth Test against Australia. In six innings he faced bowlers like Pat Cummins, Josh Haaslwood and Mitchell Starc and the 21-year-old was nowhere to be found. But many years ago it was not easy.
‘Fear will keep you from hurting’
Gill said on his IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders website: “When you get the ball, your fear disappears. You only fear until you get hurt. Once you get the ball, you think it’s completely normal. After this, your fear completely disappears.” I was getting ready for chest high balls and I practiced a lot of drives so I was mature enough to play pull shots with a straight bat.
Virat Kohli or Ajinkya Rahane? Natarajan said who is the better leader
Gil invented the shot himself
Gill said, ‘I’ve made another shot, in which I move a little to one side to play the cut. I was afraid of small balls, so I always played cut shots beyond the ball line. When I was younger, these two-three shots were my favorite and are now an important part of my batting. Speaking about his early days in Mohali, Gill mentioned how he was afraid to face a particular fast bowler at the academy and how he had overcome his fears.
SLWeng: Root and Ambuldenia named for third day, match is exciting
He said, ‘I had already decided that I should bow down and release his balls. He threw the bouncer and while I was down, I saw the ball moving from the edge of my bat towards the boundary. I realized he was not that fast. After this I gave two and three boundary roots. It surprised everyone and boosted my confidence. ‘
.
