India captain Shubman Gill (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia)
Shubman Gill is enjoying the best phase of his Test career since taking over the captaincy of the Indian team. The right-hander has turned into a run-scoring machine in red-ball cricket, producing one brilliant performance after another as he progresses from the front.Gill’s final century against Afghanistan cemented his impressive record as a Test captain. The Indian skipper now has 1,076 runs in just 15 innings as captain, at an astonishing average of 82.76, a figure that places him among the greatest captains in the history of the format.After the success of Rohit Sharma as India’s 37th Test captain, Gill has made a great start to his captaincy. He became only the 11th Indian captain to score 1,000 Test runs, reaching the feat in just 15 innings, and is the second fastest among Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar, who achieved the feat in 14 innings.
Gill also became the fastest Indian captain over time, needing just 351 days to cross the 1,000-run mark.
The defining moment of his captaincy so far came during India’s demanding five-a-side tour of England. Leading the team in his maiden stint, Gill made an astonishing 754 runs across the series as India struggled to secure a 2-2 draw. He also etched his name in the history books when he became the first Indian captain to win a Test match at Edgbaston.
His prolific career has now elevated him into elite company. Among captains with at least 1,000 Test runs, Gill currently has the second highest batting average in Test history, trailing only the legendary Don Bradman.
| player | middle |
|---|---|
| Don Bradman | 101.5 |
| Shubman Gill | 82.8 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | 69.6 |
| Stephen Smith | 68.1 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | 59.1 |
India vs Afghanistan: First innings summary
Gill’s impressive form continued in the only Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh, where he once again led from the front with the captain’s knock. India declared their first innings at 564/8 in 127 overs during the second session of the second day after a dominant batting display.Best performersShubman Gill (C): 126 (177 balls, 15 fours, 1 six)KL Rahul: 100 (165 balls, 11 fours)Sai Sudharsen: 81 (104 balls, 13 fours)Rishabh Pant: 81 (121 balls, 6 fours, 3 sixes)Washington Sundar: 52 (62 balls, 6 fours)*
