Shubman Gill was an epitome of calmness and patience during his record-breaking maiden double century in the second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England at Edgbaston in Birmingham.
He remained unfazed even when India lost a couple of quick wickets on Day 1 or when England pacer Brydon Carse tried to play tricks. There was not a single shot in anger. He never lost his cool. Well, almost. What the England pacers and captain Ben Stokes could not manage to do for five sessions, India pacer Akash Deep did in a matter of a few minutes, that is to make Gill lose his cool.
Moments before Tea on Day 2, Gill, who was eyeing a historic triple century, set off for a quick single after pushing it to mid-wicket. Akash Deep was not quite ready to get off the blocks. He took an eternity to get going. Ollie Pope at mid on, dived to his right, got up quickly and hurled the ball towards the keeper.
The England batter was off balance and could not manage to get in an accurate throw. Jamie Smith had to gather it from some distance away from the stumps, which allowed Akash Deep enough time to get back to his crease. A better throw would have got Akash Deep out and put a serious dent in Gill’s chances of getting to his maiden triple century, as the next batters in line were Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna.
In another case, Gill himself could have been run to if there was hesitation from his end.
Gill knew that. He was also aware of the importance of getting India’s total to 600, considering what happened in Headingley, where India lost despite scoring 471 in the first innings. Gill immediately turned after reaching the non-striker’s end and gave a mouthful to Akash Deep.
“Dekh kya raha hai? Bhaag jaldi se (What are you staring at? Run quickly)” Gill screamed. This was Gill’s first outburst at a teammate after becoming India’s Test captain.
As fate would have it, Gill did not get to his triple century. In the final session, he was dismissed for 269 as he tried to pull a Josh Tongue delivery but was out caught at midwicket.
Gill’s masterclass, which included 30 fours and 2 sixes, came on a flat Edgbaston surface, but the quality, composure, and sheer dominance of the knock elevated it well beyond the pitch conditions. With the England bowlers running out of ideas, Gill forged a crucial 144-run partnership with all-rounder Washington Sundar (42 off 103), ensuring India continued to pile on the runs after a strong start.
Records Tumble as Shubman Gill Makes History
First Asian captain to score a double century in a Test in England.
Highest individual Test score by an Indian in England, surpassing legends Sunil Gavaskar and Rahul Dravid.
Highest individual score by an Indian captain, surpassing Virat Kohli’s 254
Captaincy and Class in Equal Measure
In just his second Test as captain, Gill has showcased not only batting brilliance but also leadership maturity, especially after India let a strong position slip at Headingley in the series opener. Determined not to repeat the mistakes of Leeds, Gill played with intent and poise, guiding India past the 500-mark for the first time this series.
After resuming the day on 114, Gill’s innings gathered momentum through elegant strokes on both sides of the wicket. He mixed classical cover drives with reverse sweeps and slog-sweeps against spin, taking a particular liking to off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, who was dispatched for boundaries and sixes with ease.
Gill was momentarily stalled on 199, but brought up his double hundred with a calm single off Josh Tongue, pulling to fine leg. His celebration-roaring with emotion, arms aloft-was met with a standing ovation from both teammates and even the home crowd, acknowledging the magnitude of the achievement.