England Seeks to Solve Shubman Gill Puzzle at Lord's Test: Broad and Buttler Analyze India Captain's Form

Shubman Gill's stellar form has made him a tough challenge for England's bowlers.

As Shubman Gill continues his dominant run, having amassed 585 runs in just four innings with three centuries, the question looms: can England find a way to break through his seemingly impenetrable defense in the upcoming third Test at Lord's?

Former England bowler Stuart Broad, along with Jos Buttler, discussed potential strategies to challenge the in-form Indian captain on their podcast, "For the Love of Cricket."

Broad reminisced about Gill's recent performance, stating, "Shubman Gill, 269. Honestly, it looked like he could have broken Lara's record. He was just cruising. It didn’t look like anything could trouble him." He acknowledged the pressure of batting first but noted that Gill seemed unfazed. Broad also lauded Gill's successful transition to the No. 4 position after Virat Kohli's retirement, where he has since scored a century, a double century, and a 150.

Broad added, "It looks like he’s got no weaknesses at all. You know, when he was young, when I bowled to him in India, I always felt that if I could get the right line to nip back through the gate, that was a really good option. But now, he looks like he’s really covering that line, and LBW doesn’t seem to be in play much anymore."

Buttler echoed Broad's sentiments, recognizing Gill's impressive form and determination. "The sort of hunger and determination from Gill — to score a massive double and then come out again in the second innings and make another big score — it's been impressive. And obviously, becoming captain, there was a lot of talk about his record. He’s a better player than what his record was showing, wasn’t he? And he’s certainly turned that around very quickly," Buttler noted.

Despite Gill's current form, Buttler suggested a potential vulnerability. "You mentioned the move to number four — coming in when the ball is a little bit older, which maybe makes it a little bit easier and hides any technical deficiencies — but to be honest, he doesn’t look like he’s got any at the moment. I think the ball that nips back and tries to get him bowled is still an option." Buttler also pointed to Jofra Archer's past success against Gill in the IPL, where Archer dismissed him with a ball that nipped back through the gate.

Buttler concluded by acknowledging India's reputation for producing technically sound batsmen. "But other than that, he’s a very correct player. India produce a lot of technically very correct players."