3 reasons why Shubman Gill's return to form is great news for India

In the second Test against England in Visakhapatnam, Shubman Gill broke a long run of low scores in the format as he notched up a memorable second-innings century to lead India to a series-leveling 106-run win.

Prior to his effort in Vizag, Gill had never crossed the 50-run mark while batting at No. 3 in Tests. He was also harried and dismissed by James Anderson in the first innings and was fighting a seemingly lost battle to keep his place in India's Test team.

However, the talented 24-year-old weathered the storm in the second essay to help the hosts set England a 399-run target to win the Test. The visitors fell short in the end as India drew level in the five-match series.

India have now announced their squad for the remaining three Tests, and Gill obviously features. Rohit Sharma and Co. will be delighted that the youngster is back among the runs, with a trio of hugely important World Test Championship encounters to come.

Here are three reasons why Shubman Gill's return to form is great news for India.

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#3 India desperately need middle-order solidity right now

KL Rahul bats: India v England - 1st Test Match: Day Four

India are going through a tough period of transition right now, especially in the batting department.

The selectors have seemingly moved on from Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, with the former not picked for the final three Tests against England despite a prolific campaign in the ongoing Ranji Trophy. Others like Hanuma Vihari have been discarded as well.

As things currently stand, India need to identify the right players to back in the middle order. And Shubman Gill has long been earmarked as one such batter, but he hadn't been able to deliver the goods for a sustained period. Now, in the aftermath of his stellar century, the think tank will have received a slice of vindication and can carry out the transition with a bit more conviction.

If Gill is to be given a long run of games, he needs big scores like the one he recorded in the second Test. And if he is backed through this tough phase, India will benefit from the solidity he will offer the middle order.

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#2 In the short term, India need every run they can get

Ben Stokes' England have played good cricket so far

India's concerns are not limited to the long-term picture. They are locked in an engrossing dogfight with England, who have turned up on their shores without any intent of backing down.

Ben Stokes and Co. clinched a memorable victory in Hyderabad, and even though they were behind the game for most of the Visakhapatnam Test, they threatened to pull off the impossible in the fourth innings. England are a seriously good opposition, and India can't beat them if they don't have enough runs on the board.

Gill's return to form has helped the home side greatly in that aspect. Virat Kohli won't play a part in the series, while Rishabh Pant, another frontline name in the middle order, has been missing too. There are also questions hovering over the fitness of KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja, who missed the second Test.

In such a situation, India need their batters to step up and deliver the goods on a consistent basis. Now that Gill has done that once, the hosts will hope that he can go on to achieve bigger and better things in the remainder of the all-important World Test Championship series.

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#1 Shubman Gill is just too good to be out of the Test team in the long run

Shubman Gill sweeps: India v England - 2nd Test Match: Day Three

To be completely precise, Shubman Gill is too good a player to be left out of the Test team in the long run. He is already leagues above the level of the Ranji Trophy and has almost mastered 50-over cricket even at the international level.

Gill's ideal batting position might still be undetermined, but there's no doubt that he is among the top talents in the country. While he does have a couple of technical issues to be sorted out, he has all the makings of an all-format all-time great.

The sooner Gill fulfills his immense potential, the better it is for not just the player but for Team India as well. Having a generational batter like Gill in form will go a long way in the side achieving greater heights in the format.