‘Go make 300, then 350, even 400…,’ Yograj Singh unhappy with Gill for missing out on Edgbaston triple ton

Yograj Singh, former Indian cricketer and Yuvraj Singh’s father, has slammed newly-appointed India Test captain Shubman Gill for missing out on his maiden Test triple hundred. Against England at Edgbaston in Birmingham, Gill scored his career-best 269 in the first innings, and followed it up with a brilliant 161 in the second. Although cricket and the wider world lauded Gill for his record-breaking outing in the second Test, his father, Lakhwinder Singh, and Yograj Singh reminded him of his failed attempt at completing a Test triple ton. Meanwhile, Gill’s match aggregate reads 430 runs – the second-most by any batter in Test history.

Gill broke multiple records in his marathon first-inning knock. Hitting three sixes and 30 boundaries came with a lot of discipline, caution and flair, as Gill tormented the English bowlers.

Yograj, known for speaking his heart out, lashed out at Gill for losing his concentration at the cusp of creating history. Had he completed the remaining 31 runs, he would have become the third Indian after Virender Sehwag (who did it twice) and Karun Nair to hit a Test triple hundred.

"A player’s hunger should never die. Just saying ‘I’ve scored 200’ or ‘I’ve made 250’ — okay, well played, fine. But I never say ‘well played’. That’s your job, brother — but why did you get out?" Yograj said, as quoted by the Times of India (TOI). “Go make 300, then 350, even 400 — those will come too. But you have to try. My attitude is that getting out at any stage is a criminal offence, brother. How did you get out? Were you tired? Played a shot straight into someone’s hands?”

"This player (Shubman) is really good, and maybe every Indian cricketer — all eleven — have come out of his training. So that’s a big thing for you, and for Shubman too. The hard work he’s put in over the last seven years is finally bearing fruit now," he said.

Gill, however, also became the first player in all of Test cricket to hit a 250 and 150 in a Test match.

While the list of his records continues to grow, his admiration takes another step, with former India Test captain and batting giant Virat Kohli also praising him for his gigantic Test outing in Birmingham. Taking to his Instagram handle, Kohli posted a story with the caption, "Well played, star boy. Rewriting history. Onwards and upwards from here. You deserve all of this.”