NEW DELHI: Shubman Gill, in his debut series as India’s Test captain after replacing Rohit Sharma, led the team to a remarkable victory at Edgbaston. Gill marked the occasion with a commanding performance, scoring a double century in the first innings and following it up with a century in the second—stealing the spotlight in the second match of the series.
Despite losing the first wicket early at just 2 runs, Yashasvi Jaiswal held his ground to score a solid 87. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar provided crucial support with 89 and 42 runs respectively. But it was Gill who truly dominated the innings, standing tall with a sensational 269 off 387 balls.
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“For Gill, as a captain and as a batter, I think it was a special match. He played really well in both innings,” exclaimed Ravindra Jadeja.
With Jasprit Bumrah absent from the match, the pace attack was carried by Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj. Siraj was particularly lethal, claiming six wickets—including the key dismissal of Ben Duckett for a duck. In a historic low for England, six of their players were dismissed without scoring.
Harry Brook and Jamie Smith provided some resistance for the hosts with scores of 158 and 184 respectively, but it wasn’t enough to match India’s dominance.
SECOND INNINGS
Carrying forward the momentum from a dominant first innings, India’s batting lineup continued to shine in the second innings at Edgbaston. Once again, it was captain Shubman Gill who stole the show—bringing up yet another century, stamping his authority both as a leader and a batter.
India came in with a strong lead, and the opening pair laid a steady foundation. Yashasvi Jaiswal followed up his first-innings knock with a quickfire 54, while debutant Abhimanyu Easwaran contributed a gritty 39 before falling to a sharp inswinger.
However, all eyes remained on Gill, who batted with elegance and control. He reached his century with a fluent cover drive, finishing with 121 off just 172 balls. His calm, composed leadership was mirrored in his shot selection—balancing aggression with patience.
Washington Sundar once again played a handy knock lower down the order, adding 37 runs and helping push India’s lead past the 400-run mark. The middle order didn’t need to overextend, with India declaring the innings at 312/6.
With a mammoth target ahead, England faced a daunting task going into the final phase of the match. Akash Deep, playing the best of his career yet, took six massive wickets that finally led to India’s win and complete the series second match.
VIRAT’S POST FOR THE TEAM
Virat Kohli, posted on his twitter:
“Great victory for India at Edgbaston. Fearless and kept pushing England to the wall. Brilliantly led by Shubhman with the bat and in the field and impactful performances from everyone. Special mention to Siraj and Akash for the way they bowled on this pitch.”
The Indian camp, led by a confident new captain, looked set for a series-defining win. While all eyes are on this new Indian test team, Gill proved himself with a great innings and captaincy.
