Birmingham, July 3
Following his second Test century in the ongoing England tour, India Test captain Shubman Gill has clarified that the visitors are here not only to win the Test match but also to win the series.
Gill dazzled in the second Test against England in Birmingham on Wednesday with a blend of caution and aggression. At Stumps on Day 1, Gill finished his innings at unbeaten 114* runs, which came off 216 balls with the help of 12 boundaries.
Speaking in a video posted by BCCI, Gill said, "We definitely want to win this Test match and the series."
While India lost wickets in a cluster, Gill continued to torment England with his flawless approach. He remained unfazed and continued to find gaps to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Gill, India's youngest Test captain, swept Root behind square to find the boundary rope for a four and then walloped the ball to close out a memorable hundred in Birmingham. He became the fourth Indian captain to blaze his way to centuries in his first two Tests as India captain after Virat, Vijay Hazare and Sunil Gavaskar.
He also joined batting wizards Dilip Vengsarkar, Rahul Dravid and Mohammad Azharuddin to conjure hundreds in three consecutive Tests for India against England. He got to the three-digit figures with a control of 96.5 per cent, cementing his supremacy in Birmingham.
The 25-year-old Test captain stabilised India's dwindling innings after being put to bat by England skipper Ben Stokes. With India reduced to 95/2, Gill forged a resilient 66-run stand for the third wicket with young swashbuckler Yashasvi Jaiswal.
After losing KL Rahul and Karun Nair, Gill and Jaiswal were more watchful, with the Indian skipper surviving a close call for leg-before-wicket against Chris Woakes. Gill soon took the pressure off his shoulders with two boundaries against him in the 33rd over.
Gill showed glimpses of his scorching form in the first innings of the series opener. He continued undeterred, piling up runs brick by brick and repaid the trust of the management by slamming his maiden Test century outside Asia in 140 balls, with 14 fours.
He followed the footsteps of legendary names like Vijay Hazare (1951), Sunil Gavaskar (1976), and Virat Kohli (2014), becoming the fourth Indian to reach triple figures in the first innings as Test captain. Interestingly, he also touched the 2,000 run Test mark during his debut as Test captain, just like Virat had done at Adelaide 11 years back in Australia.
— ANI
Reader Comments
While Gill's batting was superb, I'm concerned about our middle order collapses. We can't always rely on one player to bail us out. Team needs to work on consistency.
Gill joining legends like Dravid and Kohli in record books! His technique against swing is so solid. Remember how he struggled in England earlier? This is called proper growth as a player ðŸ‘
As an England fan, I must admit Gill's batting was class apart today. That cover drive off Anderson was pure poetry! Hope our bowlers come back stronger tomorrow.
The way he built partnerships after early wickets shows great leadership. Captaincy seems to bring out the best in him. Hope he continues this form throughout the series!
Gill's century was special but let's not forget Jaiswal's contribution. That partnership was crucial. Youngsters showing the way forward for Indian cricket! 💙
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