Shubman Gill’s Emphatic Ton Helps Him Match Virat Kohli’s Milestone, Sparks Legacy Debate

Shubman Gill completed his double century on Day 2 of the second Test between India and England, setting several new records at Edgbaston.

Shubman Gill’s Emphatic Ton Helps Him Match Virat Kohli’s Milestone, Sparks Legacy Debate

Shubman Gill equalled Virat Kohli's centuries record with a ton against England, at Edgbaston. (via NDTV Sports)

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Indian red-ball skipper Shubman Gill matched Virat Kohli’s incredible milestone, after scoring a hundred on the first day of the second Test against England. The 25-year-old’s performance subsequently ignited a major debate regarding his potential to surpass Kohli’s Test legacy.

Shubman Gill arrived at the crease in the 24th over following Karun Nair’s wicket, with the team at 95/2. He steadfastly held his ground, preventing further wickets from falling. By the end of the day, Gill had forged three crucial partnerships; with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, and Ravindra Jadeja. His efforts helped stabilize the innings, also allowing the Men in Blue to reach 310/5 by stumps on Day 1.

Meanwhile, Gill played a captain’s innings off 114-runs of 216 balls at the end of Day 1. He silenced critics, who had questioned his leadership following the defeat at Headingley, completing his second century of this series in the 80th over. Gill’s impressive ton came off 199 deliveries, as he hit 11 boundaries, to take his Test centuries tally to seven in 34 matches for the Indian team, since his debut in 2020.

With his third consecutive Test centuries against England, the previous ones coming in Dharamshala and Leeds, Gill joined an elite group of Indian batters, including Rahul Dravid, Mohammad Azharuddin, and Dilip Vengsarkar, to accomplish this magnificent feat. It also made him only the third Indian captain to score consecutive Test hundreds against the Three Lions, following Vijay Hazare (1951-52) and Azharuddin ( 1990). 

One player that Shubman Gill reached close to with his Edgbaston hundred is former Indian captain, Virat Kohli. Gill equalled Kohli’s record of 16 centuries in 138 innings. After 138 international innings, Gill now has over 5600 runs, closely mirroring Kohli’s 5503 runs after an equal number of innings. This suggests that the 25-year-old is on a similar trajectory as Kohli, leading to predictions that he might reach close to his records for India.

Indian captain Shubman Gill also matched Virat Kohli on another list, becoming the fourth player to score centuries in his first two Test matches as India’s captain. Interestingly, the 25-year-old, often seen as a long-term successor to Kohli, also touched the 2,000-run mark on his debut as Test captain, similar to what Kohli had done during his captaincy debut in 2014, against Australia at Adelaide. 

Nonetheless, Shubman Gill continued to bat strongly on Day 2, ending at 269 off 387 deliveries, which is the second-highest individual total at Edgbaston, behind Alastair Cook‘s 294. The young Indian captain surpassed Kohli’s record of 149 runs, also the highest individual score by an Indian batter at that venue.

Former England Captain Advises Shubman Gill Against Batting At No. 4, Despite Edgbaston Heroics

Ex-England skipper-turned cricket commentator Nasser Hussain urged Shubman Gill to bat at number 3, despite the 25-year-old record-breaking double-century in the second Test at Edgbaston. Gill scored hundreds both in the first and the second Tests, while batting at no. 4.

Naseer Hussain on Shubman Gill batting position
Nasser Hussain urged Shubman Gill to bat at no. 3, despite recent success batting at no. 4. (via Indian Express)

After the end of the first day’s play, Hussain surprisingly suggested that Shubman Gill is better suited for the No. 3 batting position. Speaking on Sky Sports, he also drew parallels between Gill and England’s Joe Root, stating that both naturally fit the No. 3 role but have been moved to No. 4. He believes placing Gill lower down the batting order would underutilize the young batter’s talents.

I think some people are just like that, he [Shubman Gill] looks like a natural number three. He’s doing what, you know, England have done with Joe Root.

Nonetheless, Gill seems to have settled in well at no. 4, while India continues its search for an optimal No. 3 batsman. Many consider Sai Sudharsan, who started the first Test against England in Leeds, as an option at no. 3, apart from others like Karun Nair, Shreyas Iyer, Rajat Patidar and Ruturaj Gaikwad.