Tried to bat like I used to in my childhood: Shubman Gill after masterful double ton

Birmingham: Basking in the glory of a majestic double hundred, India Test captain Shubman Gill has revealed that he drew inspiration from his younger self and focussed on his movement ahead of the England tour to rediscover both rhythm and joy in his batting.

Gill struck 269 off 387 balls to become the first Indian and Asian captain to score a double hundred in a Test match in England as India posted a massive 587 on day two of the second Test here on Thursday. He had scored a hundred in the series-opener in Leeds.

Asked if he worked on his technique ahead of the series, Gill told the host broadcaster: "I think at the end of the IPL and before this series, I worked a lot on this." "I mainly worked on my initial movement and my setup. Before this, I felt my batting was going well. I was scoring 30-35-40 runs consistently in Test matches. But at some point, I was missing that peak concentration time. A lot of people say that when you focus too much, you sometimes miss your peak time.

"So, in this series, I tried to go back to my basics. I tried to bat like I used to in my childhood. I didn't think about having reached 35-40 runs or about playing long innings. I just wanted to enjoy my batting."

With his brilliant knock, Gill went past the legendary Sunil Gavaskar's 221 at The Oval in 1979 to post the highest individual score by an Indian batter on English soil.

Gill's return to form comes after a lukewarm Test tour of Australia earlier this year, where he managed a highest score of just 31 across three Tests.

"Sometimes, when you aren't scoring runs fluently, you stop enjoying your batting. You focus too much on the need to score runs. I felt I had lost that in my batting. I was so focused that I wasn't enjoying my batting as much."

Gill's knock is also the highest by an Indian captain in Tests, surpassing Virat Kohli's unbeaten 254 against South Africa in Pune in 2019.

"When I went in to bat before lunch on the first day, at tea I was on around 35-40 runs off about 100 balls. I came out and spoke to GG (Gautam Gambhir) Bhai. I told him, 'I’m not getting runs freely, even though I have a lot of shots in my armoury.' I also felt the ball was a bit soft," the Punjab cricketer said.

"In the last match, I was scoring more fluently, but here it wasn't coming as easily. Still, my mindset was that if the wicket is good and I am set, no matter how long I bat, I shouldn't leave the match halfway.

"I learnt that no matter how long you've been batting, under these conditions, there can be a collapse in the lower order at any time. So I tried to stay out there as long as I could. I wanted the bowler to get me out with a good ball and I shouldn't make mistakes," he said.

Gill, who captained Gujarat Titans to the playoffs, was seen preparing for the England Test series by practising with the red ball during the IPL. Gill admitted that it is tough to switch from one format to another.

"It is very difficult. Especially with the way T20 is played nowadays, in the last 4-5 years, there has been a huge difference in technique, setup, and mindset.

"It's easy to go from T20 to T20, but coming back from T20 to Tests is a bit difficult because you have been practising one way with your team and your instincts are tuned to that.

"Controlling that and repeatedly telling your mind and body to adapt is challenging. That’s why I started training for Tests during the IPL itself. That's when I began preparing my mind and body."

Batted like you did during U16-U19 during days: Gill's father

Gill's father, Lakhwinder Singh, was understandably proud of his son's feat and said it reminded him of his early days in age-group cricket. "Shubman beta, well played. Watching your batting today was a lot of fun and gave me immense satisfaction," Singh said in a video posted by BCCI TV.

"Your innings reminded me of the way you used to play as a child—like during your U16 and U19 days. I felt very proud." The message meant the world to the Indian skipper, who dedicated much of his cricketing journey to his father.

"Growing up, I played almost all my cricket for my dad. It was because of him that I even started playing cricket. For me, the only two people I truly care about and listen to when it comes to my game are my dad and my best friend. So, it really meant a lot coming from him," he added with a smile.

"Though he also reminded me that I missed my triple century -- hopefully, we can finish this match on a great note."