A month ago, Shubman Gill was desperately short on runs. And confidence. Five Test innings in Australia yielded a mere 93 runs, extending his alarmingly poor run of scores in the five-day game outside the Asian subcontinent. Perhaps out of compulsion, more than choice, he returned to the Ranji Trophy, and rediscovered his mojo, so to say.

A first-innings failure at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium against Karnataka was followed up by a flowing 102 in the second, even though the Punjab skipper was unable to stave off an innings defeat. Clearly, that century has sparked a revival because his next four innings, all in ODI cricket, read 87, 60, 112 (all against England) and 101 not out, on Thursday night here against Bangladesh.