India batter Shubman Gill on Saturday conceded that he has, of late, developed a tendency to lose focus after getting 25-30 runs in red-ball cricket, evidence of which was seen in a couple of his dismissals during the five-match Test series in Australia. Gill identified this as an area of concern soon after making a fine second-innings hundred for Punjab on the third day of their Ranji Trophy match against Karnataka. His 102-run knock, though, went in vain as Karnataka hammered the visitors by an innings and 207 runs. “Red-ball batting is a concern. Sometimes, I think with the red ball, in the matches that I play, I get very good 25-30 runs.
“I think in those moments, sometimes I put too much pressure on myself to be able to score big runs. I think that is not the way that I have grown up playing my game,” Gill said.
The elegant batter, who is a treat to watch when in full flow, added, “There is a certain zone that I am in, certain intent that I am in and sometimes I think I lose that because I put too much pressure on myself that I have to get a big run now that I am set.
“I think in those crucial moments, I sometimes lose my focus and concentration. I think it keeps you in the game all the time.
“As a person, I like to be involved in the game and what is happening. I think it brings out the best in me as a player when I am constantly involved in the game.” On the Indian team’s last tour of Australia, Gill made just 93 runs in six innings at an average of 18.60. He missed the series opener in Perth due to injury and was dropped for the Boxing Day Test at MCG.
This innings on Saturday will give him some confidence going forward.
“I think any innings that we play at any level, it’s very important to be able to get runs, get back in form and have that feel. When you are playing well, when you are in that zone, it’s important to stay in that zone as long as possible and that’s what I was trying to do when I was batting there.
He described the knock as “satisfying”, having got out off an inside edge in the first innings.
“I think this innings was very satisfying for me, the way I played. The first, I think, in 130 balls, I scored 40-odd runs, and they were bowling well and there was some help in the wicket as well. So, keeping that in mind, I think I was very satisfied with the way that I was playing.
“After the lunch, I just thought to play a little bit more of my shots. Also, the wickets were falling from one end. So, I wanted to make sure that I am getting some runs as well, playing some shots.” He said no amount of practice can give a player what he derives from playing in a competitive match at this level.
“I think if there is a chance, we must keep in mind that there is enough of a gap between the match and the next series that you are going to play. So, if there is enough gap, if there is 15-20 days between that, then I think it is very helpful to play the match because the match feels different no matter how much you practice.
“When you go out there playing at any level, there are certain aspects of your game that are challenged when you are playing a match. So, it is helpful.” Gill likened this surface to the one that was used for the Test match against New Zealand three months ago.
“I think the first inning when we batted, the wicket was quite damp. I think it was like the match that we played against New Zealand here. The only difference that I would say, there was a little bit more grass on this wicket.
“And in the second innings, I think it got a little easier to play your shots. In the first inning, the ball was stopping and seemed a bit too much to play the shots.
“In the second inning, the ball was still, I felt seaming, but it was still easier to play your shots because the ball was coming at a good pace.” Among the India stars returning to the domestic circuit, Gill was the lone centurion and played 171 balls for his knock.
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