Shubman Gill on Flat Conditions in England

Shubman Gill marked his first Test win as captain at Edgbaston with a staggering aggregate of 430 runs in the match but admitted that the game loses its essence without some semblance of a contest between bat and ball.

Bowlers Struggle with Flat Conditions

"It gets very difficult for the bowlers," the Indian captain said. "Even more than the pitch, the ball is going soft and out of shape very quickly. I don't know what it is – weather, pitches or whatever – but it gets very difficult for the bowlers to get wickets in these conditions."

India's Bowlers Shine in Narrow Window

India, through Akash Deep and Mohammed Shami, were able to outbowl their English fast-bowling counterparts in this narrow window, taking 15 of the 20 wickets in the three bursts with the new ball.

Gill Praises Lead Seamers

Heaping praise on bowlers that did play, Gill said the efforts of his lead seamers, Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj, had been outstanding. "Both of them took 16-17 wickets. That itself is a big, big achievement coming into this Test match, especially without Jasprit Bumrah."

Bat-Ball Balance in England

This skewed bat-ball balance in England – partly a function of the style of play the home team favours – is a significant departure from what Gill has experienced anywhere else in his still-young Test career.

Gill's Batting Performance

Even so, the 25-year-old had taken it upon himself to bat the opposition out of the game following India's lower-order collapses in Leeds cost them a game they'd also dominated. Gill, who made 147 in Leeds before holing out in the deep while trying to slog Shoaib Bashir, followed through on that by making 269 and 161 in the two innings here at Edgbaston.

Gill on Leading by Example

"Sometimes, especially when you are the captain, I think you need to lead by example so that whenever there is another player in that situation, you can command that player," Gill said. "'This is what the team requires right now and you always have to put the team first rather than your personal desires."