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Gill focused on playing sessions on his first UK tour

India opener Shubman Gill feels the team can't be better prepared for the World Test Championship final against New Zealand but underlined the importance of playing session by session in English conditions.

Gill is undergoing a 14-day quarantine in Mumbai along with the rest of the squad. It will be his first tour of England with the senior team having made his debut in Australia in December last year.


He did not have the best of times in the home series against England and he is looking to make amends starting with the WTC final against New Zealand from June 18.

'We did well in Australia. We have been playing well overseas and I feel we can't be better prepared for this final. As an opener, I feel you should be able to play session by session not just in England, overseas in general,' Gill told India TV.

'It is very important to play session by session. In England whenever there is cloud around, the ball swings more and when the sun is out, it gets easier to bat. It is important to assess those conditions as an opener,' he said.

Talking about the quarantine protocols in COVID times, he said: 'It is very hard, you are in a room for 14 days there is not much to do. We are given workout schedules, we do that. We try to keep ourselves busy watching movies and spend some time on the I-pad but it is very hard,' said Gill, who has played seven Tests so far.

Gill has been with the Test squad since 2019 but got his big break with the Boxing Day Test at the MCG in December.

Asked about time spent in the team and interactions with skipper Virat Kohli and opener partner Rohit Sharma, he added: 'Virat bhai tells me to play fearlessly whenever we speak about the game. He speaks about mindset a lot, that you have to be in good frame of mind when you go out to bat and shares his experiences.

'And when I am batting with Rohit bhai, we usually discuss where the bowlers will bowl, what the situation is like, depending on that, when to take risk or not.'

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The group earned five stars for customer service and accuracy of descriptions.

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Pub hotel group beat luxury chains in UK guest satisfaction survey

Highlights

  • Coaching Inn Group scores 81 per cent customer satisfaction, beating Marriott and Hilton.
  • Wetherspoon Hotels named best value at £70 per night.
  • Britannia Hotels ranks bottom for 12th consecutive year with 44 per cent score.
A traditional pub hotel group has outperformed luxury international chains in the UK's largest guest satisfaction survey, while one major operator continues its decade-long streak at the bottom of the rankings.
The Coaching Inn Group, comprising 36 relaxed inn-style hotels in historic buildings across beauty spots and market towns, achieved the highest customer score of 81per cent among large chains in Which?'s annual hotel survey. The group earned five stars for customer service and accuracy of descriptions, with guests praising its "lovely locations and excellent food and service.
"The survey, conducted amongst 4,631 guests, asked respondents to rate their stays across eight categories including cleanliness, customer service, breakfast quality, bed comfort and value for money. At an average £128 per night, Coaching Inn demonstrated that mid-range pricing with consistent quality appeals to British travellers.
J D Wetherspoon Hotels claimed both the Which? Recommended Provider status (WRPs) and Great Value badge for the first time, offering rooms at just £70 per night while maintaining four-star ratings across most categories. Guests described their stays as "clean, comfortable and good value.
"Among boutique chains, Hotel Indigo scored 79 per cent with its neighbourhood-inspired design, while InterContinental achieved 80per cent despite charging over £300 per night, and the chain missed WRP status for this reason.

Budget brands decline

However, Premier Inn, long considered Britain's reliable budget choice, lost its recommended status this year. Despite maintaining comfortable beds, guests reported "standards were slipping" and prices "no longer budget levels" at an average £94 per night.

The survey's biggest disappointment remains Britannia Hotels, scoring just 44 per cent and one star for bedroom and bathroom quality. This marks twelve consecutive years at the bottom, with guests at properties like Folkestone's Grand Burstin calling it a total dive.

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