Shubman Gill receives special message from Virat Kohli for his heroics at Edgbaston

Indian skipper scores a career-best double century and a rapid-fire 161 in second Test

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Jai Rai, Assistant Editor
2 MIN READ
India's captain Shubman Gill reacts on reaching his century on Day 4 of the second cricket Test against England at Edgbaston in Birmingham, central England, on July 5, 2025.
India's captain Shubman Gill reacts on reaching his century on Day 4 of the second cricket Test against England at Edgbaston in Birmingham, central England, on July 5, 2025.
AFP

Dubai: Indian Test captain Shubman Gill delivered a sensational performance in the second Test against England, scoring a career-best double century and a rapid-fire 161 to put India firmly in control of the match.

Gill’s remarkable display didn’t just lead India to dominance — it also saw him shatter multiple records, earning praise from cricketing greats. Among those applauding was former India captain Virat Kohli, who posted on social media: “Well played, star boy. Rewriting history… Onwards and upwards from here. You deserve all of this.”

In his debut match as captain, Gill made an immediate impact, scoring a composed 147 off 227 deliveries, which included 19 boundaries and a six. He went even further in the second match, notching up a monumental 269 off 387 balls — the highest score of his Test career — to power India to a commanding total of 587. In the second innings, he continued his dominance, smashing 161 off just 162 balls with a strike rate of 99.38, hitting 13 fours and eight sixes.

With a staggering match total of 430 runs, Gill etched his name into the record books as the first batter in 148 years of Test cricket to score both a double hundred and a 150+ in the same match. He also became the first Indian in 87 years to amass over 400 runs in a single Test and the second-highest run-scorer in a Test match, behind only England’s Graham Gooch, who scored 456 against India in 1990.

His innings meant he was also the new record-holder for the most runs by an Indian in a single Test, surpassing Sunil Gavaskar’s 344 against the West Indies in 1971.

Jai Rai
Jai RaiAssistant Editor
Jai is a seasoned journalist with more than two decades of experience across India and the UAE, specialising in sports reporting. Throughout his distinguished career, he has had the privilege of covering some of the biggest names and events in sports, including cricket, tennis, Formula 1 and golf. A former first-division cricket league captain himself, he brings not only a deep understanding of the game but also a cricketer's discipline to his work. His unique blend of athletic insight and journalistic expertise gives him a wide-ranging perspective that enriches his storytelling, making his coverage both detailed and engaging. Driven by an unrelenting passion for sports, he continues to craft compelling narratives that resonate with readers. As the day winds down for most, he begins his work, ensuring that the most captivating stories make it to the print edition in time for readers to receive them bright and early the next morning.
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