Jadeja says Gill's ton of runs a 'good sign' for Indian cricket / Photo: Sajjad HUSSAIN - AFP
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Jadeja says Gill's ton of runs a 'good sign' for Indian cricket
Captain Shubman Gill struck his fifth Test century of the year to put India firmly in control against West Indies on Saturday, earning praise from his deputy Ravindra Jadeja for his remarkable consistency.
The 26-year-old Gill, who took over as Test skipper in May, was unbeaten on 129 when India declared their innings at 518-5 on the second day of the second Test in New Delhi.
With his latest hundred, Gill equalled Virat Kohli's Indian record of five Test tons in a calendar year as captain, a feat Kohli achieved in 2017 and 2018.
Gill has been in prolific form since becoming captain, topping the scoring charts in the five-Test series in England this year. That series ended in a draw but he amassed 754 runs and four centuries, including a career-best 269.
Jadeja said "consistency" was the hallmark of Gill's batting as a leader.
"That's a good sign for Indian cricket because he has been scoring a lot of runs since taking charge," the vice-captain said.
"If the captain performs, the whole team benefits," Jadeja told reporters.
The 36-year-old all-rounder also praised India's younger players, highlighting opener Yashasvi Jaiswal's rapid rise.
"The young generation are taking responsibility for themselves, like Jaiswal. He has also scored plenty of runs in the last two years. Indian cricket will benefit a lot from this in the future," he said.
Gill's latest century was his 10th since making his Test debut in December 2020.
He shared a 74-run stand for the third wicket with 23-year-old Jaiswal, who made 175 before being run out in a mix-up with Gill.
Jadeja also praised Jaiswal's maturity, saying his temperament has helped him become a reliable player at the top of the order.
The left-hander brought up his seventh Test hundred as India look to wrap up a 2-0 series win over the visitors.
M.Chandra--MT
