‘There was a bit of panic’: Shubman Gill admits to India’s collapse on first day of third Test

Shubman Gill believes repeating all the technical work he did ahead of the five-Test series against England earlier this year helped him get his bearings during the impressive 90-run knock that put India in a good position against New Zealand in the third round. and the final test here on Saturday. Jill and Rishabh PantAn attacking 60 gave India a 28-run lead before New Zealand ended the second day at 171 for 9 in their second innings with a lead of 143. “Yeah, definitely one of my best knocks I’ve played in a Test. cricket. In the lead up to this Test, I have been working on the areas that I was working on before the series we played against England,” Gill said at the post-match press conference.

“In that (England) series, I tried my best to bat against the spinners and just to be able to go back to that mindset and what my positions were while playing against the spinners, that’s what I was trying to replicate before this match in practice. “The conversation with the coach was to repeat more of what I think is the best idea for me – to learn how to play spinners,” he added.

Gill noted that thinking clearly when he was hitting the ball under pressure on a turning track early in the second day helped him.

“Honestly, I was trying to have fun. I love hitting the ball, and if I try to think of it as just going out there and getting another opportunity to hit as much as I can, that’s what I was thinking about,” he said.

“I didn’t try to put too much pressure on myself, thinking I had to score that many runs. I tried to have fun in the middle and enjoy the moment, even if it was difficult.” “Because you won’t be able to play that many Test matches. I just feel that when I’m batting, if I put too much pressure on myself, I’ll lose the enjoyment of the art of batting,” he said.

Gill said putting New Zealand bowlers under pressure was an approach that worked well during his partnership with Pant.

“When you put bowlers under pressure, it’s difficult for them to bowl consistently in that area and that’s what we’ve been talking about,” he said.

He thanked Pant for easing the pressure on him.

“The way Rishabh came in and started hitting those boundaries, in that particular session they didn’t really match their line and length, so we were able to cash in.” Gill said he emphasizes knowing when to use sweep and reverse sweep shots.

“You make these swings to move the fielders out of their spots — the fielders who are in the catching position,” he said.

“Yesterday I played tackles and fielders where I wanted to have gaps. For me, it’s all about having those shots, but playing them when I know (they’re necessary for the game) is absolutely critical.”

India suffered a “little scare” at the end of the opening day, but “one good partnership” of 70-80 runs on the third morning should help the hosts survive, Gill said.

“Yesterday, yes, there was definitely a bit of panic,” Gill told the media after the second-day setback after his 90-run knock helped India take the lead.

“But that’s what Test cricket is all about. There are times when you think everything is a mess and then there are times like (when) we came in this morning and had a great first hour, hour and a half,” added Gill, who shared Pants for the fourth wicket.

With India looking to beat New Zealand and chase the 150-over target, Gill said the team will need one partnership to get over the line.

“It’s all about one good partnership. When you are chasing a total that is around 150-160 and if you have one good partnership of 70-80 runs, the match is over,” he said.

“This is something that will be talked about between the batters to have one good partnership. For the fielding team, when the partnership is 70-80 and you are chasing 150, the opponent’s body language also goes down,” he said.