Shubman Gill kissed his bat, held it up and had his eyes closed for a few seconds. A little bit of relief was palpable as he brought up what indeed was a deserving ninth Test century and his fourth in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Deep down, though, the India captain knew his job was far from over.
Gill couldn’t last long after reaching three figures. A momentary lapse of concentration cost him his wicket off Jofra Archer’s bowling in the penultimate over before Lunch on the final day of the fourth Test in Manchester.
But to be fair to Gill, that poke outside the off-stump was the only error in his 379-minute epic, a show of resilience which engineered India’s survival battle to keep the series alive.
Of course, KL Rahul’s resolute defence at the other end also helped in easing Gill’s nerves, allowing him to settle down. Having said so, when Gill had arrived at the crease on the stroke of Lunch on Day IV, Rahul was yet to face a single delivery, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan perishing off back-to-back balls in the first over of India’s second innings.
Precisely, under those circumstances, it was more of an opener’s job in this innings for Gill. It wasn’t an unfamiliar territory for him, though, as he had begun his Test career batting upfront.
But the situation was too tough as India were 311 behind. The enormity of such a situation has often got the better of even the greatest in the sport. In Gill’s case, the three centuries he had scored previously on this tour had come after India were off to steady starts.
Saturday at Old Trafford was the first instance when the India captain had to bat under immense pressure with not just the Test, but also the series threatening to slip away from his team. But right through his 238-ball innings, Gill not just unleashed 12 delightful boundaries, but more importantly, remained disciplined and calm, being a symbol of resilience and defiance.
What also stood out was his determination not to be flustered even when beaten by a probing line outside off-stump. Or, even when a delivery from his England counterpart Ben Stokes suddenly reared up from good length and seemed to hurt the already-strapped area between his right thumb and index finger on the final morning of the Test.
Gill’s expression did suggest it was quite a nasty blow. But it couldn’t deny him from reaching three figures, a century that was a statement to his doubters.
“This was an innings where Shubman batted with a lot of courage, given the situation his team was in.
“As for his capability of batting on difficult pitches, he should be given a little more time.
“However, this series could be a breakthrough one for him and should give him a lot of confidence going forward,” former national selector Devang Gandhi pointed out.