Shubman Gill was handed an ultimatum before the Vizag Test against England

Following Shubman Gill’s two-ball duck in the second innings of the Hyderabad Test, team management gave him an ultimatum that Visakhapatnam would be his final opportunity to maintain the No. 3 slot in India’s Test team, according to reports as per the Indian Express.

With a week between the second and third Tests in Rajkot, there were reports that about sending Gill to domestic cricket to work on his weaknesses. Had he not responded to his criticisms with a vital hundred in the second innings in Visakhapatnam, he may have gone to Mohali, where Punjab will meet Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy beginning February 9.

“I will go and play the Ranji Trophy match against Gujarat in Mohali,” Shubman Gill informed a family member, according to The Indian Express.

Shubman Gill struggles in No.3 position

Following a poor run phase in which Gill scored only 153 runs in nine innings with the best score of 36, his position was under intense criticism. Bowlers revealed his weakness in both spin and seam movement. He’d stab at the spinners with powerful hands and lunge at the seamers with a half-forward front foot like he did against James Anderson in the first innings. The defects have yet to be entirely corrected, but the century provides him with the confidence and opportunity to do so.

However, Gill ignored all criticism and persevered through the difficult moment. He rode his luck; he might have been out at least three times in the first 10 balls, but he survived and took advantage of the breaks, as good batters should.

Anderson has removed Gill five times in Test cricket, and he has scored only 45 runs. When Gill was on 21, an edge flew between Ben Foakes and Ben Stokes at first slip off Tom Hartley’s delivery. Later Shubman Gill scored his third Test century and first in No.3 position.