Shubman Gill Rediscovers His Form Against Spin, Helps India Take Lead Against New Zealand

Shubman Gill Returns to His Old ‘Mindset Against Spin’ to Take on New Zealand

MUMBAI – The end of 2024 is very different for Shubman Gill compared to how the year began. Earlier, he was adjusting to batting at No. 3, but runs were hard to come by, and his place in the Test squad seemed uncertain.

People started doubting his performance because his last century was against Australia in March 2023 in Ahmedabad. After that, he went 12 innings—10 of them batting at No. 3—without crossing 50 runs. However, things turned around when he scored a century in the second Test against England in Vizag. Gill ended up scoring over 500 runs in that series. Since then, he has continued to score well, with two centuries, two scores in the 90s—including one on Saturday—and a half-century in his last 12 innings.

In this latest match, Gill’s score of 90 off 146 balls and a 96-run partnership with Rishabh Pant helped India secure a slim 27-run lead in the first innings. This was a significant comeback, as the team struggled at the end of the first day. While Pant played aggressively, Gill held steady at the other end. He capitalized on loose balls, rotated the strike, and prevented New Zealand’s spinners from getting comfortable. His only mistake came close to his half-century when Mark Chapman dropped a catch.

The 25-year-old called this inning one of his best in Tests, explaining that he focused on what worked for him against spinners during the England series and tried to replicate that approach here.

“It’s one of my better Test innings. In this match, I focused on things I practiced before the England series, especially my approach against spinners. I just tried to get back into that mindset,” said Gill. “I wanted to make the most of my time at the crease without putting pressure on myself to score a certain number of runs. Test matches don’t come often, so if I worry too much about scoring, I lose the enjoyment of batting.”