Shubman Gill becomes second-fastest Indian captain to 1,000 Test runs
Chandigarh, June 6
Shubman Gill reached the milestone of 1,000 Test runs as skipper, becoming the 11th player to do so for India during the One-off Test against Afghanistan at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
Gill achieved the landmark in just his 15th innings (Test), making him the second-fastest Indian captain to reach the mark, behind Sunil Gavaskar, who did it in 14 innings. The right-handed batter also achieved it in the shortest span of 351 days, the least number of days by an Indian captain to reach 1,000 runs in the longest format.
In terms of most centuries as captain in Tests for the Asian Giants, Virat Kohli leads with 20 hundreds in 113 innings, followed by Sunil Gavaskar with 11 in 74 innings, Mohammad Azharuddin with 9 in 78 innings, Sachin Tendulkar with 7 in 43 innings, and Shubman Gill now with 6 in 15 innings.
In terms of the most hundreds scored as a Test opener for India, Sunil Gavaskar leads the list with 33 centuries in 203 innings, followed by Virender Sehwag with 22 centuries in 168 innings. Murali Vijay ranks third with 12 hundreds in 100 innings, while KL Rahul has 11 centuries in 101 innings.
Meanwhile, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant marked his 50th Test appearance. Among Indian wicketkeepers, only MS Dhoni (90) and Syed Kirmani (88) have played more matches.
India finished Day 1 of the one-off Test against Afghanistan in a commanding position, reaching 368 for 3 in 85 overs. Skipper Shubman Gill scored an unbeaten 103, while KL Rahul contributed a century of his own. Rishabh Pant supported with a well-timed 50, helping India dominate the Afghan bowling attack. Mohammad Saleem Safi took two wickets, while Ziaur Rahman Sharifi claimed one.
After winning the toss and opting to bat, India started with KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal. The pair gave India a steady start, with Jaiswal driving Ziaur Rahman Sharifi for a boundary in the first over. India featured six left-handed batters, marking only the third time this has happened in a playing XI after the two Tests against South Africa last year. Afghanistan struck early when Safi dismissed Jaiswal for 24 off 32 balls, edging to the wicketkeeper. He was replaced by Sai Sudharsan, who along with Rahul put together a 55-run partnership for the second wicket in 78 balls, leaving India at 96 for 1 at lunch.
In the second session, Rahul and Shubman Gill continued to build the innings, adding 113 runs for the loss of one wicket to reach 209 for 2. Rahul brought up his 21st Test fifty, while Sai Sudharsan reached his third Test half-century before being dismissed for 81 by Safi. Gill remained unbeaten at the crease, anchoring the innings.
During the third session, Rahul reached his 12th Test century off 164 balls but was dismissed on the very next delivery, caught by Rahmanullah Gurbaz, ending a 67-run partnership with Gill. Despite the setback, Gill and Pant kept India's momentum, with Gill completing his ninth Test half-century in the following over. The pair continued to dominate, taking India past the 300-run mark, with Pant hitting three sixes off Abdul Malik in the 68th over.
Gill reached his century in the 83rd over, his 11th Test hundred and the sixth as an Indian captain. Pant also completed his half-century in the final over of the day. India ended Day 1 at 368 for 3, with Gill unbeaten on 103 off 143 balls and Pant not out at 50 from 70 deliveries.
Brief score: India 368/3 (Shubman Gill 103*, KL Rahul 100; Mohammad Saleem Safi 2/67). Vs Afghanistan.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Love seeing young talent shine! But let's not get carried away — six centuries as captain is impressive, but Kohli's 20 show the real benchmark. Gill has a long way to go but the potential is definitely there. Happy for Pant too on his 50th Test! 🙌
Finally some solid Test cricket from India! That opening partnership was exactly what we needed. Gill's captaincy seems mature beyond his years. Also, six left-handers in the XI is a bold move — glad it paid off! Afghanistan bowlers tried their best but conditions were tough.
Great to see Rahul back in form with that century, and Gill steady as ever. But honestly, I'm a bit concerned about Jaiswal's early dismissal — we need him to convert those starts into big scores in Tests. Still, 368/3 on Day 1 is a dominant position. Let's hope the bowlers back this up tomorrow! 🙏
Six centuries in 15 innings as captain is incredible, no doubt! Sunil Gavaskar's record is special too. But the real test for Gill will be overseas conditions — let's see how he handles pace and bounce in Australia or England next time. Today was a good day though, no complaints! 🏏🔥
What a day for Indian cricket! Gill and Rahul both scoring centuries, Pant getting a fifty on his 50th Test — utterly brilliant. The depth in our batting is amazing. Afghanistan bowlers toiled hard but our batters were just too good. Mohd Saleem Safi bowled well
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