'I took his number from Wade': How Steve Smith helped Shubman Gill before England tour

India captain Shubman Gill revealed that he spoke to two cricket legends, Steve Smith and Sachin Tendulkar, ahead of India’s England tour to get tips on tackling English conditions. Gill made the revelation ahead of the first Test against the West Indies on Thursday, October 2.

The advice clearly worked wonders, as Gill went on to have a record-breaking series, scoring 754 runs in five Tests, including four centuries. He finished as the highest run-scorer of the contest, a promise he had made before the start of the tour. Before his first home Test as captain, Gill spoke about the conversation he had with Tendulkar and Smith prior to the England series.

Gill on how Tendulkar and Smith helped him

“I spoke to Sachin Sir and also got Steve Smith’s number from Matthew Wade, who played with me in the IPL. Both said the same thing - defend straight and score square," Gill said during an interview with JioHotstar before the first Test against West Indies at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.

Gill batted at number four in England because India decided to send KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal as openers. The change in position seemed to bring out the best in him. Gill admitted he felt pressure to perform outside India but stayed confident thanks to his preparation. He was the best batter on the tour.

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“There was pressure of not doing well outside India. But I was feeling very confident in terms of my practice, mentally, and what positions I was getting into,” he added. This was Gill’s first Test series as India’s full-time captain following the retirement of Rohit Sharma.

Gill’s performance helped India draw the series 2-2. The Indian skipper will now look to continue his good form in the ongoing Test series against the West Indies. He is coming fresh off the 2025 Asia Cup, where he played as an opener and helped India win the trophy for the record ninth time. However, Gill didn’t do well with the bat in the ACC competition.