Shubman Gill delivers on promise, amends Headingley regret with maiden Test double ton at Edgbaston

IND vs ENG: Shubman Gill missed out on a double ton in Headingley but made up for it with India's best score in Edgbaston

Shubman Gill became the first Indian captain to score a double century in England with a stunning show in the IND vs ENG 2nd Test. Gill led his side from the front, in an innings of control and defiance. The Indian captain was under pressure coming into the India vs England series, but has walked the talk, comfortably being the best batter so far.

Shubman Gill embraces captaincy, records follow

Shubman Gill was handed the baton ahead of the more experienced Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant. He was named captain of a side from which he was dropped just 3 Tests ago. He had not scored a century overseas, and averaged a mere 35 in his career. However, the Indian selectors and management saw enough in the 25-year-old to hand him the role.

Shubman has taken it on in style. The 25-year-old had set a target of being the best batsman ahead of the India vs England series. 3 innings into the tour, Gill has the highest score by an Indian in England, has two centuries. All this while comfortably looking good in his new position – No.4. Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli have held the position for more than 3 decades. Gill had big shoes to fill and has started off well.

“Honestly, when I want to go out there and bat, I just want to play as a batsman, not really want to think that I’m the captain of the team, because I think that sometimes puts too much pressure on you. Whenever I’m going out there, I want to play as a batsman and want to want to dominate the opposition and be the best batsman in the series, and that’s what I’m trying to look at,” Shubman Gill had said before the 1st Test.

Bat the opposition out of the game

While Shubman started off with a bang, his side still lost the IND vs ENG 1st Test in Leeds. India suffered two collapses, losing 7/41 and 6/31 in both innings. Gill was keen to accept responsibility, and regretted not batting England out of the contest. He was batting on 147 before holding out in the deep to Shoaib Bashir. His wicket was the starting point of India’s collapse from 430/3 to 471 all out.

“I was batting on 147 and the way I got out, maybe I could have scored 50 more in partnership with Rishabh. If you get a good ball and you get out, that’s fine, but once you are set and you know that you don’t really have that much depth in your batting order, maybe the top order could take a little bit more responsibility and bat the opposition completely out of the game,” Gill had said post the IND vs ENG 1st Test in Headingley.

A week later, Shubman took that responsibility. India looked in a spot of bother after Nitish Reddy’s dismissal left them at 211/5. The Indian captain then stitched a 203-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja. He added another century partnership with Washington Sundar to take India past 500. Gill now has the highest score for India in Tests in England, surpassing Sunil Gavaskar’s 221 at The Oval in 1979.

Gill has walked the talk with bat in hand. The records, if his predecessors at No.4 are any indication, will also follow.