- July 6, 2025
It’s quite a unique experience watching a young cricketer mature in front of you. One day he is an exciting young star in whites, and the next day he is captaining his national side and making history at Edgbaston. Shubman didn’t change his future; at 25 years old, he accomplished this. He managed to secure a double century and a century in the same Test match, which not just put India in a winning position, he put his name in the record book, which had previously seen only one name, Graham Gooch.
If you tuned in to Day 4 of the ENG vs IND 2nd Test, you’ll agree you saw more than runs on the scoreboard. You saw a captain in the making, a leader who leads with a bat. Let’s explore what makes Gill’s achievement so remarkable—and what this indicates about India’s future playing under his captaincy.
A Batting Clinic in Leadership
What Gill achieved at Edgbaston was not only historic, it was calculated, classy, and defined captaincy. He started with a majestic 269 in the first innings, a career-defining performance that showed his temperament and knack for going long. But to come back in the second innings, having a 450+ lead already in the bank, and make another century? That is elite mental toughness.
There was nothing difficult about that second ton. He hit the gaps, worked the angles, rotated the strike, and then accelerated when England had got to that stage of fatigue. Gill’s innings were not focused on a personal landmark; rather, they were about tiring the opposition out. That was spectacular.
Not only lead by example-he raised the bar. And when you lead with authority like that, your team generally follows.
Beating Legends and Breaking Ceilings
Shubman Gill has had a phenomenal match total of 376 runs, breaking a record that stood for more than forty years (over Sunil Gavaskar’s 344). To be able to do this so soon in his captaincy makes Gill’s ever-growing reputation even more impressive.
In case his bat did most of the talking throughout the Test, Gill was also a strong reminder of why exploring youth comes with great rewards for fans and selections alike. It’s not just about the numbers, it’s about creating history against a top Test nation, away from home. Outside of Graham Gooch (456 runs vs India in 1990), Gill is the only other one to have done better across both innings in a Test as captain.
It’s doubly poetic if we’re being honest. Gooch’s record came against India. Gill’s comes against England. Call it cricket karma, or just it’s the cycle of greatness continuing.
The Captaincy Aura Is Real
As a captain, who has lasted only a few matches, Shubman Gill has already surpassed 500 runs in the series with three Test matches to go. More importantly, beyond the runs, he looks extremely calm and confident in the role.
There is no rush in any of his actions. No panicking is evident in his face. And, most definitely, no uncertainty in his batting. His calmness and confidence have passed onto his teammates, who are now batting and free to bowl with aggression.
And let’s not forget—this is a young captain getting to grips with English conditions, with a busy schedule, and the specter of former Indian captains who have struggled to win Test series in England. And he is still making Edgbaston feel like a personal amusement park.
What do you think, are we witnessing the emergence of the next great Test captain for India? Or has he already arrived? Let’s discuss cricket.
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