Honestly, I’ll sum it up in one line. My heartbeat playing the first ball and playing my last ball was the same. Yes, my heartbeat was the same.
A lot of expectations have been put on Gill since his U-19 days, when he stood out from the rest of the pack with his century against Pakistan in a high-pressure semi-final. The player’s talent had shined through the entirety of 2023, where he ended up as the highest run-getter in ODIs and scored a century in all formats of the game.
Tests are always considered to be the litmus test for a player of Gill’s calibre and that was where he started to falter a bit. He went 12 innings without a fifty, coming at the famous No.3 position, once occupied by Cheteshwar Pujara.
Replacing Pujara is never easy, but Gill seemed to be cracking under the weight of expectations as fans and pundits were showing their frustration. However, the Indian team management always trusted in the ability of the player.
After Gill delivered on that prophecy from Rathour, head coach Rahul Dravid came in to show his appreciation as well as backing for the 24-year-old.