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Key Points

Mohammed Shami's childhood coach Badruddin Siddiqui expressed delight at India's young stars shining in the first Test against England. He praised Shubman Gill for scoring a century in his captaincy debut and Yashasvi Jaiswal for his gritty ton in English conditions. Siddiqui highlighted how the new generation is stepping up after the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The coach also credited selectors for their faith in young talent during this transition phase.

Key Points: Shami's Coach Siddiqui Praises Gill and Jaiswal After England Test Centuries

  • Gill scores century in first Test as captain
  • Jaiswal hits third ton against England
  • Siddiqui credits selectors for backing youth
  • India's 359/3 showcases strong post-Kohli transition
3 min read

It's heartening to see the younger players taking responsibility, says Shami's childhood coach Siddiqui

Mohammed Shami's childhood coach Badruddin Siddiqui hails Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal for stepping up in India's new Test era against England.

"It’s heartening to see the younger players taking responsibility. – Badruddin Siddiqui"

New Delhi, June 21

As India begins a new chapter in Test cricket with fresh leadership and a youthful core, veteran coach Badruddin Siddiqui, the childhood mentor of Mohammed Shami, has lauded the rise of Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal after their superb centuries on Day 1 of the first Test against England at Headingley.

Speaking ahead of Day 2’s play, after India finished Day 1 on 359/3, Siddiqui said this was a series he had eagerly awaited — especially with the retirement of stalwarts like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. And the performance of the young guns, particularly captain Gill and opener Jaiswal, gave him hope and joy for Indian cricket’s future.

“We had been waiting for this Test series for quite a while, especially because many new players are getting a chance in the Indian team,” Siddiqui told IANS. “All our experienced players have retired, so we were really looking forward to seeing how the new generation would perform.”

He was full of praise for Gill, who became only the fifth Indian captain to score a century in his first Test as skipper, and Jaiswal, who notched up his third ton against England — his first in English conditions.

“The start has been very good, just as we hoped. Shubman Gill scored a century as captain, and Jaiswal also made a hundred. It’s heartening to see the younger players taking responsibility,” Siddiqui added.

Highlighting the role of the selectors in backing young talent during a transition phase, Siddiqui said such trust was already paying off.

“The selection committee has shown great faith in these youngsters, and they are living up to that trust. Players who perform well will definitely get more opportunities going forward. It feels really good to see our new players doing so well.”

“People thought the team would become weak after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired, but we haven’t seen any signs of weakness at all. All the players have performed brilliantly, and I believe they’ll continue to get even better in the coming days.”

On the field, Shubman Gill (127* off 175 balls) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (101 off 159 balls) were the standout performers. Their 129-run partnership not only steadied the innings after early wickets but also put England’s bowling under sustained pressure. Jaiswal’s innings, studded with 16 boundaries and a six, came despite battling cramps in both hands — a gritty knock in classic English seaming conditions.

Vice-captain Rishabh Pant also played a key role, remaining unbeaten on 65 at stumps.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
What a fantastic start by our young brigade! 🇮🇳 Jaiswal's innings was pure class - battling cramps and still scoring a ton in English conditions. This is the future of Indian cricket shining bright. Hope they can convert this into a big total tomorrow!
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Priya M.
While I'm happy with the performance, let's not get carried away by one good day. England's bowling attack will come back stronger. The real test will be when the ball starts swinging more. But credit to Gill for leading from the front!
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Arjun S.
Shubman Gill proving why he was always destined for greatness! Remember his U-19 days? The boy has grown into a fine leader. And Jaiswal - what a find for Indian cricket! These two could be our new Dravid-Ganguly pair for the next decade.
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Sanjana R.
So proud of our young team! 😊 After all the worries about transition phase, they're showing such maturity. Special mention to Pant too - his presence adds so much stability to the middle order. Hope they can maintain this momentum throughout the series.
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Vikram J.
Coach Siddiqui makes a valid point about selectors showing faith. Many were questioning the decision to make Gill captain so soon, but he's proving his worth. This is why we need to trust our domestic cricket structure - it keeps producing quality players.
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Neha P.
The best part is seeing these youngsters perform overseas. Indian batsmen used to struggle in England, but this generation seems more confident. Jaiswal's technique against swing was impressive. Hope they can build on this and win the series!

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