Indian batter Shubman Gill smashed the record-breaking double hundred on day two of the ongoing second Test at Edgbaston against England on Thursday, putting the hosts under tremendous pressure. Gill (269), with his double ton, became the first Indian batter to hit most runs outside the Indian subcontinent, shattering Sachin Tendulkar's record of 241. However, he missed out on his triple hundred, falling to Josh Tongue. But he showed great temperament and hardly made a mistake during his spellbinding knock. Later, after the day's play, Gill spoke about his father, who lauded his knock but also reminded him that he had missed his triple century.
“It means a lot coming from him. But he did also tell me that I missed my triple century. Hopefully, we’ll end this match on a great note,” Gill said in a video released on BCCI on social media on Friday.
“Shubman beta, well played. Today, I enjoyed watching your batting, and my heart was at peace. You were batting like in your childhood U16 and U19 days. I felt very proud,” Gill’s father says in an audio that features in the video.
Gill’s mother also expressed her happiness: “Felt amazing watching you bat, keep going, God bless you.”
Gill, who also broke legendary Sunil Gavaskar’s record, becoming the first Indian skipper to score a double-hundred in England, recalled his childhood days when he would play cricket with his father.
“This message means a lot to me. I think, growing up, I played almost all of my cricket for my dad, in the sense that it was because of him that I started playing. And the only person besides him is my best friend, whom I practised with. These are the only two people, when it comes to my cricket, that I care about and that I listen to,” Gill said.