Shubman Gill's record-breaking tour of England is widely regarded as one of the most dominating displays of batting by an Indian in overseas conditions in recent years.
Gill went into the series as the first-time captain and one of the experienced players in the batting lineup after the recent retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
However, the batter did not falter in tough conditions, accumulating 754 runs across 10 innings in the series.
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Among the key contributors to his success in England were the two members of the famous Fab-4, and the former Australia and New Zealand captains Steve Smith and Kane Williamson, who helped him train for the series.
Here's how the star duo helped Gill prepare for the England tour.
How did Steve Smith and Kane Williamson help Shubman Gill prepare for the England tour?
Ahead of the series, there were concerns about his slow weight transfer onto the front foot, which created the gap between bat and pad — widely exploited by the bowlers across conditions.
While preparing for his first big series as the leader of the pack, Gill sought help from one of the best visiting batters in English conditions, Steve Smith, who notably averages 54.27 in England in his 23 matches.
According to a Times Of India report, the Australian legend helped the 26-year-old mentally prepare for the series by guiding him through the lengths where the bowlers would attack him and suggesting that he create muscle memory by shadow batting before he worked on his technique in the nets.
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On the other hand, Williamson advised Gill to play with soft hands, keep the bat close to his body, and avoid rushing drives. The Kiwi batter also suggested that Gill focus on observing the bowler during the first 45 minutes before capitalizing on the conditions.
Gill diligently followed both pieces of advice and went on to surpass Sunil Gavaskar’s record of 732 runs from the 1978/79 West Indies tour, while also captaining India to a series draw.
How did Shubman Gill perform in England Test series 2025?
Gill finished the series with four centuries, which helped him accumulate 754 runs in 10 innings. His 269-run marathon knock in Birmingham was the highest score for an Indian captain in Test cricket.
| Innings | Runs | Avg/SR | Highest | 50/100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 754 | 75.40/65.56 | 269 | 0/4 |
Shubman Gill's performances in England by matches:
| Test | Performance | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Test | 147 & 8 | Leeds | England won by 5 wickets |
| 2nd Test | 269 & 161 | Birmingham | India won by 336 runs |
| 3rd Test | 16 & 6 | Lord's | England won by 22 runs |
| 4th Test | 12 & 103 | Manchester | Match Drawn |
| 5th Test | 21 & 11 | The Oval | India won by 6 runs |
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