Shubman Gill’s glorious start: Double century, records tumble, legacy continues

Dubai: Shubman Gill walked out wearing not just the India blazer, but also the burden of legacy. At 25, he wasn’t just leading a team missing two giants — Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli — he was also taking strike at No 4, a spot once owned by Sachin Tendulkar and Kohli. Pressure? Plenty. But what followed was a record-breaking masterclass that announced a new era.

Gill not only scored a century in his first Test as captain — a feat only three other Indian skippers have managed — but he converted it into his maiden double hundred, finishing his innings on Day Two at 269. In the process, he broke Sunil Gavaskar’s 46-year-old record for the highest individual score by an Indian batter in an away Test, surpassing Gavaskar’s 221 against England in 1979.

India ended the innings on a commanding 587, with 277 runs added on the day.

Taking over at No 4 — a position synonymous with Tendulkar and Kohli — and captaining a relatively young side in their absence, Gill had big shoes to fill. The responsibility could have weighed him down. Instead, he soared.

In his very first innings as captain, he followed in the footsteps of Vijay Hazare (1951), Sunil Gavaskar (1976), and Kohli (2014), becoming only the fourth Indian skipper to score a century in their debut Test at the helm. He also crossed 2,000 Test runs during this knock — just as Kohli had done in his captaincy debut at Adelaide 11 years ago.

Former India batter Mohammed Kaif was quick to highlight the significance of Gill’s position and performance.

“Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and now Shubman Gill… India is always blessed to have a solid world-class batsman at No 4. May this continue forever. Gill continuing a great tradition,” Kaif posted on X.

Gill reached his century in style — sweeping Joe Root behind square for four before dispatching the next delivery to the fence once again — calm, clinical, and in total control.

He would go on to join a rare club of Indian captains — alongside Kohli, Gavaskar and Hazare — to score centuries in each of their first two Tests as captain. His latest hundred also made him just the fourth Indian, after Dilip Vengsarkar, Rahul Dravid, and Mohammad Azharuddin, to score centuries in three consecutive Tests against England.

Gill’s innings was defined by control and command. He expertly stitched key partnerships, first with Yashasvi Jaiswal, who cracked a fluent 87, and later with Ravindra Jadeja (89) and Washington Sundar, ensuring India stayed in the driver’s seat.

Tendulkar himself was effusive in praise of both openers.

“@ybj_19 set the tone from ball one. He was positive, fearless and smartly aggressive. @ShubmanGill was cool as ever, calm under pressure, solid in defence and in total control. Classy knocks from both. Well played, boys!” the legend wrote on X.

Despite his personal milestones, Gill remained grounded. “We definitely want to win this Test match and the series,” he said at the end of Day One.

With the pitch expected to deteriorate, India’s spin attack — and Gill’s captaincy instincts — may have a bigger role to play as England prepare to bat, especially on the final day.

Visting captains to score hundreds in first two Tests of a series in England:

1938: Don Bradman (AUS) 144 no, 102 no, Trent Bridge and Lord’s

1947: Alan Melville (RSA) 189, 117, Trent Bridge and Lord’s

1953: Lindsay Hassett (AUS) 115, 104, Trent Bridge and Lord’s

1966: Garfield Sobers (WIS) 161, 163 no, Old Trafford and Lord’s

1973: Bevan Congdon (NZL) 176, 175, Trent Bridge and Lord’s

1990: Mohammad Azharuddin (IND) 121, 179, Lord’s and Old Trafford

2003: Graeme Smith (RSA) 277, 259, Edgbaston and Lord’s

2014: Angelo Matthews (SRI) 102, 160, Lord’s and Headingley

2025: Shubman Gill (IND) 147, 269, Headingley and Edgbaston