After Gavaskar and Dravid… It’s Gill!

Captain Shubman Gill has now joined the elite list of Indian batters who have scored double centuries on English soil. In the second Test match currently underway in Birmingham, Gill delivered a phenomenal innings. Though the pitch was flat, Gill's batting was nothing short of brilliant.

Until now, only two Indian batters had achieved the feat of scoring a double century in England — Sunil Gavaskar in 1979 and Rahul Dravid in 2002. With this incredible performance, Gill has matched a legendary milestone in Indian Test cricket history.

This is Gill’s second Test as captain, and he had already scored a century in the first innings of the previous match. However, India lost that game, overshadowing his hundred.

Leaving aside the outcome of matches, many were initially surprised when Gill was handed the captaincy. But with just two Tests under his leadership, perceptions are already shifting. There’s now a growing sense that a new era in Indian cricket — the Gill era — has begun. Many even see him as a fitting answer to the question: Who after Virat Kohli?

With this double century, Gill has also become the highest individual scorer in a single innings by an Indian in England. He scored 269 runs off 387 balls, receiving strong support from Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. India, riding on Gill’s knock, posted a massive 587 runs on the board.

In response, England got off to a shaky start in their first innings, which began late on Day 2. Akash Deep struck early, removing both Duckett and Pope in consecutive deliveries in just his second over. His fiery spell on a flat pitch gave a strong boost to India’s confidence.