Captain Shubman Gill once again proves he doesn’t shy away from battle

Dubai: Some captains lead with words. Shubman Gill leads with grit and composure.

On the fourth evening of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, India were reeling at 0 for two in their second innings, still 311 runs behind and staring at a potential series defeat. The situation brought a familiar feeling of Lord’s were India lost four wickets on the fourth evening.

Enter Gill — a young leader with composure beyond his years — who turned the tide with a defiant century on the tense final day under pressure on Sunday.

The 25-year-old delivered a knock for the ages: 103 off 238 balls, laced with 12 boundaries, his ninth Test ton and fourth of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series. It wasn’t just about runs — it was about timing, temperament, and leadership. Gill’s innings not only helped wipe out the deficit but guided India into safety as the match ended in a draw.

Ravindra Jadeja, who has been rock-solid with the bat this series, continued his fine form scoring an unbeaten 107 while Washington Sundar gave him the perfect company scoring 101 not out as India reached 425 for four, before stumps were called early.

Marathon effort

Gill's marathon effort put him alongside legends in the record books. The Indian skipper now joins Don Bradman and Sunil Gavaskar with the most hundreds (four) in a single Test series as captain, and becomes the first ever to do so in his debut series as skipper. It was also his slowest Test ton to date — reached off his 228th delivery — another sign of growing maturity in tough conditions.

Gill’s knock was the backbone of India’s second innings. After the early double-blow, he stitched together a vital 188-run stand with KL Rahul that pulled India back from the edge. The Old Trafford pitch wasn’t unplayable, but the uneven bounce and occasional turn on the fifth day demanded discipline. And Gill showed plenty of it — even after a Ben Stokes delivery struck his injured right thumb and ricocheted onto his helmet.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting was quick to praise the Indian leader’s resolve. “He was in at 0 for 2, and he’s a young captain trying to make his mark. When the opportunity arose to stand up with the bat, he’s done it again,” Ponting said on Sky Sports. “He’s elegant and very stylish… but more than that, he’s shown he loves the battle. When the moments have been the toughest, he’s stood up for India.”

The century was the first by an Indian batter at Old Trafford in 35 years — the last being Sachin Tendulkar’s 119 in 1990. It also comes on the back of his historic performance at Edgbaston earlier in the series, where Gill amassed twin scores of 269 and 161, totalling 430 — the second-highest aggregate in a single Test.

Eventually, it was Jofra Archer who broke through, with the new ball. Against the run of play, Gill flashed at a delivery outside off and edged it to Jamie Smith behind the stumps. His dismissal left India at 223 for 4, still trailing by 88 at that moment — but his job was largely done.

Former India coach Ravi Shastri also weighed in on the day’s gritty play. “Test cricket at its best. It’s a tough game, and it’s there for the tough ones to stand up when it matters — like Gill and Stokes.”