Birmingham: Skipper Shubman Gill has etched his name into cricket’s record books with a remarkable display of skill, temperament, and hunger in the second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 series at Edgbaston here on Thursday.
After his century at Headingley, where he scored 147 and rued not converting it into something bigger, Gill arrived in Birmingham with a mission. And he delivered in style, compiling the highest Test score ever by an Indian on English soil.
Batting in friendly conditions, Gill, who took over as India captain after Rohit Sharma retired from the format, combined discipline with elegance. His knock was built on minimum-risk strokes, as he caressed the ball into gaps and refused to offer England a single chance.
When he crossed 221, he went past Sunil Gavaskar’s iconic innings at The Oval in 1979 — a knock remembered for nearly guiding India to an improbable chase of 438. Gavaskar’s 221 stood as the benchmark for Indian batters in England for 46 years, until Gill’s masterclass.
Gill’s effort also surpassed Rahul Dravid’s gritty 217 at The Oval in 2002. Dravid had anchored India’s first innings in that series-deciding Test, helping secure a draw and sharing the series honours. Likewise, Gill’s innings provided the backbone of India’s massive first-innings total at Edgbaston, placing his team firmly in control.
The young Indian captain also moved past Sachin Tendulkar’s memorable 193 at Headingley in 2002, an innings that helped India secure a famous win, and Ravi Shastri’s 187 at The Oval in 1990, a marathon effort that forced England to follow on.
Meanwhile, Shubman Gill continued to dominate the proceedings by hitting an unbeaten 265—going past 250 for the first time in Tests—as England’s bowlers toiled, with India reaching 564/7 in 141 overs at tea on Day Two.
(IANS)
