Batter Gill leads from front in first win as captain

The 336-run win at Edgbaston in the second Test of the England tour is a startling result for this new Indian Test team. It does not happen in England often. In Edgbaston, it has never happened before for India.

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At a venue where India have never won a Test, they have recorded their biggest ever away Test win in terms of runs. It is a remarkable achievement for India’s new Test captain Shubman Gill, just the kind of a start a new captain dreams of.

“All the things we spoke about after the last game, we were spot on with all of those things. I think the way we came back with our bowling and fielding was tremendous to see. On this kind of wicket we knew that if we got 400-500 runs, it would be enough. Not every game will be like Headingley. I am definitely feeling comfortable with my game and if we are able to win the series with my contributions, it’ll be great. As I said before, I want to play as a batsman, and go out as a batsman and make decisions as a batsman. Sometimes you won’t take some risks when you’re thinking as a captain which you have to do as a batsman,” Gill said as he was adjudged the Player of the Match.

As a batsman, Gill has made a statement with 269 in the first innings and 161 in the second. It is a bit hard to imagine but Gill is just the third Indian batter to score double-tons in Tests in England after Sunil Gavaskar’s 221 and Rahul Dravid’s 217 at The Oval

He is having the time of his life, said former England captain Nasser Hussain on Sky Sports. Gill has 585 runs in just two Tests — something he may not have dreamt of before the start of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

He is rolling like Rolls Royce, quipped Varun Aaron, while analysing Gill’s game for a cricket website. “In a land which produces Rolls Royce, you just see an Indian Rolls Royce operate. So smooth, did not give a single chance in his 269-run knock. It just shows his composure that he wants to be the best batsman India has ever produced,” he said.

PCA officials said Gill started preparing for the England tour very early. “He specially worked on his drives a lot. He is letting the ball come on to his bat before playing the drive. It’s quite visible he is deliberately playing it late,” said an official who saw him practice at Mohali a few months ago.

It is this preparation which has helped Gill break many records: Gill’s 269 is the highest by an India captain in Tests, beating Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 254 against South Africa in Pune in 2019.

Gill’s 269-run knock is also the highest by an India batter in Tests outside Asia ahead of Sachin Tendulkar’s unbeaten 241 against Australia at the SCG in 2004.

The new No. 4 of the Indian Test team has made the third-highest score in away Tests behind Sehwag’s 309 in Multan and Rahul Dravid’s 270 in Rawalpindi on the tour of Pakistan in 2004. Gill, definitely, is an iconic batsmen in all the three formats of the game. But how great is India’s new Test captain? Well, he has just taken his first step towards greatness in Test cricket.