'Prithvi is not even around'- Former Indian cricketer's message for Shubman Gill after his maiden century

Shubman Gill scored his maiden test hundred on Day three of the first Test match between India and Bangladesh in Chattogram. The opening batter reached the triple-figure mark in 147 deliveries, hitting eight fours and two sixes on his way. The 23-year-old holed out to a deep mid-wicket fielder on 110 off Mehidy Hasan. He had managed only 20 runs in the first innings before Taijul Islam picked him caught behind.

Gill’s previous best was 91, scored against Australia in Brisbane in 2021. In his 21 innings before this match, Gill had four fifty-plus scores in Test cricket. In First Class cricket, this was Gill’s ninth 100-plus score. Former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja has said that Gill scoring his maiden Test century was akin to passing an exam.

"A century in Test cricket is a very big moment. I don't even know how it feels. It is just a number but a very important one. I can only talk about myself and not about others. It is like passing an exam, this number has an effect like that." Jadeja was quoted as saying.

‘We have only seen him moving forward’- Ajay Jadeja

Jadeja said that Cheteshwar Pujara might have different emotions when compared to Gill as he already have 18 Test centuries but it took 3 years to get his 19^th, although both achieved the same milestone. Pujara smashed an unbeaten 102 off 130 balls, his first Test century since January 2019. Jadeja also talked about how it is very beneficial for Gill as another youngster Prithvi Shaw is not around at the moment.

"You can talk about the pressure or the wait for that, Shubman Gill needs to savor that moment. If you see Cheteshwar Pujara, who had scored 18 centuries, when he scored one after three years, it is a different celebration." he said.

"Shubman Gill has the ability and the best thing I find about him is that we have only seen him moving forward since we have seen him. A player comes in whom you see a lot of talent but if you see two or four years later, he is still stuck there. He has added something whenever we have seen him."

"I hope his wagon will only move ahead from here because this guy has shown that he is not one of those who have gone back after scoring one. Prithvi Shaw is also his age group, he scored a century in his first Test but he is not even around at the moment. So just like that wagon has gone back, this wagon is steadily moving ahead."