Shubman Gill And The Art Of Breaking Records
It was a match unlike any other so it's only fair that Gill broke way too many records, right?
You'd remember how the internet was abuzz with all kinds of chatter the day Shubman Gill was announced as India's Test Captain, the spot left vacant after former skipper Rohit Sharma bowed out of the format.
Yes, there was noise, and of both kinds. While the cricketer's fan base was thrilled (but obviously), many were sceptical, to put it mildly, thanks in part to Gill's not-so-golden form in matches prior. Some others also felt he hadn't impressed enough with his captaincy skills while leading Gujarat Titans in the IPL. Those expected troll comments aside, there were many meritorious remarks made, yes.
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And when India lost that first test at Leeds, despite an impressive first innings, naturally, all the negativity only got amplified. Everyone had something to say about Gill. Not kind words, of course. It wasn't easy for even his fan clubs to defend him.
Which is why, walking into that second test at Edgbaston, most people were convinced it wasn't going to be India's game, again. Especially since India hadn't won a test match there, ever.
You don't need me to tell you that that's not how it all rolled out, though, do you?
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India won, and with absolute dominance, might I add. Batting, bowling, fielding, everything. Gill led from the front scoring a double century in the first innings and a century in the second, helping place India in a comfortable position with an enviable total, and the bowling attack took over from there, finishing it all.
But Gill wasn't just leading the team to a milestone-making win; he was breaking records the entire time.
All the records broken by Shubman Gill in the IND vs ENG test match at Edgbaston
It wasn't a match unlike any other so it's only fair that it broke way too many records, right?
Thanks to his stupendous 430 runs (both innings combined), Gill broke Virat Kohli's record (293 runs) for the most runs scored by an Indian captain in a test match. Speaking of Kohli, Gill also broke his record for the most runs by an Indian in their maiden series as test captain. Gill's 585 in four innings is way ahead of Kohli's 449 runs, at this point.
His innings in the Edgbaston match also managed to break Sunil Gavaskar's record (344) of the highest match aggregate by any Indian in a test match. And while we're on Gavaskar, after him it's now Gill who is the second Indian to score a double century and a century in the same test match. Besides, Gill is now the first-ever Indian player to score 250+ and 150+ in the same match.
That's not all.
Following his knocks at Edgbaston, Gill has now the fifth player ever to score 400+ runs in a test match. His 269 in the first innings alone has broken and set multiple records - it is the seventh highest scoring by an Indian batsman, the highest ever by an Indian captain (overtaking Kohli's 254* against South Africa in 2019), highest score by an Indian batter in England and the highest score by an Indian captain in an away test (again, overtaking Kohli's 200 against West Indies in 2016).
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And if that wasn't enough, Gill is now the second Indian captain to score a double century in an away test and the 6th Indian captain to score a double century in general. He's also become the second-youngest Indian captain to do so.
Additionally, he's the 5th player to score a double century in both Tests and ODIs now, after Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Chris Gayle and Rohit Sharma.
For a player who many doubted had it in him at the start of the series, Gill has surely come off age, and ensured those very naysayers come around. There are still 3 more matches to go in his maiden series as Test captain, so anything can happen. Both India and England have a shot at clinching the series, and so does Gill at setting many other such records.
Will the man of the moment give us many other iconic moments? In Gill, we should trust.