New Delhi: The five-match Test series between England and India is beautifully poised after both teams tasted victories in the first two fixtures of the newly-named Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. England’s opening Test win at Headingley and India’s comeback victory at Edgbaston have set the tone for a thrilling battle at Lord’s, the venue for the third Test starting on July 10, Wednesday.
The momentum is with India, who head into the match on the back of a remarkable 336-run win which ended the Edgbaston curse.
Shubman Gill has led from the front in his maiden series as India’s Test captain, scoring three hundreds (which includes a double) in two matches. Gill has already amassed 585 runs at an average of 146.25 with his twin tons in Birmingham, powering him past several records. His 430-run aggregate made him the highest run-scorer in a single Test for India and the second highest overall.
The remarkable performance at Edgbaston has put Gill on the brink of breaking several more records in the remaining three Tests.
Most runs in a Test series as captain
Gill is on the brink of breaking legendary Australian batter Don Bradman’s 88-year-old record for most runs as captain in a Test series. Gill is just 225 runs away from Bradman’s mark of 810 runs in five Tests in the 1936-37 Ashes. The iconic Aussie dominated the series, which was incidentally his debut as skipper, at an outstanding average of 90, including three hundreds.
That means Gill also has the chance to set a new record for most runs in a debut series as captain if he overhauls Bradman’s tally.
Meanwhile, Gill is in line to break the record of Sunil Gavaskar, who holds the record of most runs in a series as India’s captain. Gavaskar scored 732 in six Tests against the West Indies in 1978-79, and Gill is just 148 runs away from that mark.
Most runs in a series
Gill has a chance to break another Bradman record. The former Australian captain set the record for most runs in a Test series when he smashed a whopping 974 runs 95 years ago in the 1930 Ashes. Gill needs another 390 runs in three Tests to break the long-standing record.
Gavaskar’s 774 runs in the five Tests against the West Indies in 1971 are the most by an Indian batter in a series. Gill is only 189 runs away from crossing that mark.
Most hundreds in a series
West Indies great Clyde Walcott holds the record of most tons in a series with his feat of five centuries in a home series against Australia in 1955, successfully standing the test of time for 70 years.
Gill, who has already hit three hundreds in two Tests (4 innings), has three Tests (six innings) to score two hundreds to level the feat and three hundreds to surpass it.
Bradman holds the record for the most centuries (4) in a series as captain, while Gavaskar holds both these records for India with four hundreds each against the West Indies (1971) as a player and as captain (1979).
Fastest to 1000 runs as captain
Gill has another Bradman record in his sights. The Australian captain holds the record for fastest to 1000 runs (11 innings) as captain. Gill needs 415 runs in six innings to surpass him.
Gavaskar holds the record for India. After being the captain against New Zealand in 1976, Gavaskar took 14 innings to complete 1000 Test runs as captain with the help of five hundreds.
Most runs in a series vs England (home and away)
Star left-hander Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has scored a century and a fifty in the ongoing series, has the record for most runs by an Indian batter in a series against England. He hammered 712 runs in a five-match home series in 2024, courtesy of two double-hundreds. With 127 runs required in six innings, Gill can easily go past that tally.
In England, iconic batter Rahul Dravid scored 602 in 2002 with three centuries – the highest-ever aggregate in England by an Indian batter. Gill is only 18 runs short of that mark.
Virat Kohli holds the record of scoring the most runs by an Indian captain in a series, with 655 runs in the home series vs England in 2016. Gill is just 91 runs shy of that record.