Shubman Gill-led team heralds a new dawn

A young team, a rookie captain and the oppressive burden of history — the odds were heavily stacked against India at Edgbaston, Birmingham. No Indian cricket team had won a Test match at this famous venue, and it seemed unlikely that the Shubman Gill-led squad would break the jinx, especially after it snatched defeat from the jaws of a possible victory in the first Test at Leeds. There were no big names such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin, while pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was taking a ‘tactical’ break. The unflappable Gill, however, knew exactly what was needed to turn the tables on England. Leading from the front, the 25-year-old scored a breathtaking 269 in the first innings and followed it with a classy 161, smashing a plethora of records on the way. As the skipper, he brought the best out of fast bowler Akash Deep, who rattled England with a 10-wicket match haul.