New Delhi, July 4 : In a historic Test match at Edgbaston against England, Indian captain Shubman Gill etched his name into the record books with a monumental innings of 269 runs. His career-best knock propelled India to a commanding total of 587, marking the team's highest score in England in 18 years. By the end of Day Two, India further consolidated their dominance by reducing England to 77 for 3.
As per agency report, following his iconic innings, Gill reflected on the technical adjustments and mental shifts that led to this resurgence in his red-ball form. The 25-year-old noted that regaining the joy of batting played a pivotal role in his success. He acknowledged that during lean patches, he had been overly focused on scoring runs, which took away the intrinsic pleasure of batting. Rediscovering that enjoyment helped him play with greater freedom and confidence.
Batting at number four, Gill revealed that going back to basics brought a much-needed rhythm to his game. He worked on his initial movements and setup, recognizing that although he had been consistently scoring 35 to 40 runs in Tests, he was lacking full concentration. By choosing to bat like he did in his childhood—without overthinking about milestones—he found himself more at ease at the crease.
Gill's innings not only marked personal redemption but also earned him multiple records. He became the second-youngest Indian captain after Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi to score a double century in Tests. He also became the first Asian captain to achieve a double century in SENA countries—South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia. His 269 surpassed Virat Kohli's 254* to become the highest score by an Indian Test captain and marked the first overseas double century by an Indian batter since Kohli’s feat in 2016.
Despite the monumental achievement, Gill admitted the innings wasn’t an easy one. He described the early phases of his knock as challenging, especially before the first session break, when he had scored around 35-40 runs off nearly 100 balls. A conversation with Gautam Gambhir, who offered insights about tough periods and building an innings, helped him stay mentally strong and patient at the crease.
He also attributed his maturity to the lessons learned during his 147-run knock in the previous Test at Headingley. That experience taught him the importance of holding the innings together, especially when the lower order could collapse quickly. In this match, he consciously decided to occupy the crease and force bowlers to dismiss him with exceptional deliveries rather than gifting his wicket.
Praising his bowlers, Gill commended the efforts of Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj for dismantling England’s top order early. He emphasized the challenge of taking wickets as the ball gets older and underlined the importance of maintaining pressure by restricting the scoring areas. According to him, frustrating batsmen and limiting their shot-making opportunities would be key to India's bowling strategy moving forward.
Gill concluded that forcing batsmen into errors by curtailing their natural scoring zones would be India's best chance at tightening their grip on the match. His thoughtful approach, both with the bat and as a leader, underscores a new chapter in his evolution as a Test cricketer and captain.
