By Karan Agrawal 
Shubman Gill roared back to form in the ODI series against England with a couple of half-centuries in as many matches. The 25-year-old kicked off the series with a match-winning knock of 87 runs in Nagpur walking in to bat after India had lost captain Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal inside the first powerplay while chasing a middling target of 249 runs. He along with Shreyas Iyer who also scored a quick-fire half-century added 94 runs for the third wicket to stabilize the Indian innings after early setbacks. Gill continued to take India home after Shreyas Iyer was dismissed and found an able partner in the form of Axar Patel both of whom ensured that India was comfortably placed in the chase.
The Performance
Shubman Gill carried on his good work in the second ODI as he played the perfect second fiddle to Rohit Sharma who scored an attacking century in a stiff chase of 305 runs. While Rohit was going all guns blazing from one end Shubman completed his second half-century of the series at the other end. Shubman’s performance so far in the series has impressed former English captain Kevin Pietersen who praised and decoded his technique.
The Praise
“I talked about a trigger when you get into big boy’s cricket and you face the faster bowlers. You need a set yourself, and it’s a start that he’s now started to take when he’s been batting. I think that it’s improved the way that he’s played. What makes it even more intimidating to bowl to, is his ability to just play that pickup shot, that little punch shot of the back foot, because a bowler can’t just hover short of a length,” Pietersen told Star Sports. “What he’s is get a full attack the top of the stumps or his bouncer has to be very, very good. So, he’s improved this game. He’ll want to keep improving, he’ll wanna stop getting 60 and get out. He’ll wanna get the 100 like Rohit,” Pietersen added.
The Preparation
Shubman was among the centrally contracted players who represented his state Punjab in the ongoing season of the Ranji Trophy and also scored a century although in a losing cause which helped him in getting the required match practice before the three-match ODI series against England which will be followed by the Champions Trophy scheduled to take place in Pakistan and Dubai from February 19.