IND vs ENG, 2nd Test Match Day 2 ( Jul 03, 2025 )
India captain Shubman Gill has broken a long standing record set by star batter Virat Kohli.
He completed his 255 runs and registered the highest score by an Indian captain in a Test match. In 2019, Kohli scored 254 against South Africa, which was the highest by an Indian captain. However, India lost the wicket of Washington Sundar at 42 by Joe Root. Gill has now been joined by Akash Deep at the crease. Resumed his innings at the score of 114 on Thursday, Shubman Gill smashed a double ton. With it, he became the first-ever India captain to smash a double hundred in England.
Kohli had famously scored just 134 runs across 10 innings in a nightmare 2014 tour. He ended up taking over captaincy of the team later in the year after MS Dhoni’s sudden retirement from Test cricket and went on to establish himself as one of the best batters in the world. When he returned to England in the 2018 series, Kohli started by scoring 149 in 225 balls at Edgbaston. He went on to finish as the highest scorer in that series, compiling 593 runs in 10 innings.
Similarly, Gill has had a largely forgettable time with the bat in the longest format leading up to this series, even being dropped during India’s last Test series in Australia. “So there were questions over his ability and skill. Both these batters proved the doubters wrong. Virat Kohli in 2018, Gill in 2025. He has got prince written on his bat but it will soon become King,” said Parthiv.
Shubman Gill recorded his first Test score beyond 150, while Ravindra Jadeja played a vital hand with a stylish 89, guiding India to 419 for six by lunch on the second day of the Edgbaston Test against England.
Taking full advantage of batting friendly conditions, Gill and Jadeja put together a commanding 203 run partnership off 279 deliveries. England’s fast bowlers found little help from the surface, allowing Gill (168* off 288 balls) and Jadeja (89 off 137) to dominate the morning session.
Shubman Gill’s clear intent has made him unstoppable in the ongoing Test series against England as he made scoring a double century look like a walk in the park in Birmingham on Thursday. Gill, playing his first match as Indian cricket team captain, shattered records at will. Having hardly put a foot wrong with the bat, Gill also ensured that India did not cede the advantage to England from a strong position like they had done in Leeds in the series opener.
India began the day at 310 for five and quickly added 109 runs in just 25 overs, determined to maintain control and avoid another batting collapse similar to the one seen in the second innings at Leeds.
With no significant movement off the pitch, the English bowlers resorted to short-pitched deliveries, but the strategy proved largely ineffective against the well set Indian pair. The only success came near the end of the session when Josh Tongue delivered a sharp bouncer that Jadeja couldn’t handle, resulting in a catch behind to Jamie Smith.
Batting under clear skies, Jadeja looked in rhythm early on, with a punch off the back foot through cover and a crisp cut off Ben Stokes. Gill opened his boundary account with a shot through third man before delighting fans with a picture perfect cover drive against Chris Woakes.
Gill even surprised everyone with an uncharacteristic reverse sweep off Shoaib Bashir, later following it up with a six behind square. Jadeja, not to be left behind, danced down the track and launched Bashir for a six over mid-on.
After Jadeja’s dismissal, Washington Sundar joined Gill, and England captain Stokes set a peculiar field featuring a leg slip and close in catchers as Josh Tongue tried to exploit some extra bounce.
Shubman Gill has got off to a dream of a start with the bat to his tenure as India’s Test captain, even if that can’t be said for how the first match went for him overall. Gill has followed up the 147 he scored in his first ever Test innings as captain with a masterful double century in the second match at Edgbaston.
Gill’s sensational early run in this series, with an added context over the questions over his mediocre record with the bat in Test cricket before this, has led to former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel comparing it with the famous century that Virat Kohli had scored at Edgbaston in 2018. Patel said that the way both batters celebrated their centuries reflected the similarity in circumstances in which they came.
There was something common in both these celebrations, said Patel on Star Sports. At the start of the 2018 series there were questions over Virat Kohli’s numbers in England, there were still scars from that 2014 tour. Similar questions were there over Shubman Gill because he had not yet scored a century in SENA nations.
As Shubman Gill inches closer towards his 200, Washington Sundar joins the party in style. This time, Josh Tongue becomes his prey. In the previous over of Tongue, Sundar hammers a boundary and a six as the English pacer leaks 11 runs. What an over as Sundar completes 21 runs and Gill needs 1 run to complete his 200 runs.
When Gill reached the score of 255, he surpassed Kohli for the highest ever score by an Indian captain in Tests. Kohli had scored 254* in Pune against South Africa in 2019. Gill also broke the record of Sachin Tendulkar for the most runs by an India captain in an away series at the age of 25. Gill went past Tendulkar’s tally of 290 (1997 tour of Sri Lanka) with an unbeaten 323 runs so far.
Shubman Gill and Washington Sundar have stitched together a 100 run partnership for the seventh wicket. While Gill leads the charge with a magnificent double century, Sundar has quietly played his role at the other end. Their stand has helped India reach 515/6 and pile on the pressure at Edgbaston.
Double Century, Shubman Gill takes a single off Josh Tongue’ delivery and completes his double century in style. It is his maiden double century in the Test format and he brings it up in 311 balls. With this Gill, also became the first Indian captain to hit 200 in Tests in England.
A brilliant session for India, piling on 145 runs in 31 overs under perfect batting conditions.
Shubman Gill looks well set for a triple hundred and, he may not get a better opportunity than this to reach that landmark in Tests. Washington Sundar supported him nicely until he misjudged a delivery from Root and was bowled.
Similarly, Gill has had a largely forgettable time with the bat in the longest format leading up to this series, even being dropped during India’s last Test series in Australia. “So there were questions over his ability and skill. Both these batters proved the doubters wrong. Virat Kohli in 2018, Gill in 2025. He has got prince written on his bat but it will soon become King,” said Parthiv.
Pacer Akash Deep has shaken England’s confidence and their batting lineup as he took two early wickets. He dismissed Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope for duck as England lost two wickets in no time. Earlier, Skipper Shubman Gill’s classic maiden double hundred carried India to a formidable 587 all out in their first innings against England on the Day 2 of the second Test on Thursday. Gill (269) led India’s batting charge as there were two other notable run-makers in Yashasvi Jaiswal (87) and Ravindra Jadeja (89). Gill also became the first Indian and Asian captain to score a double hundred in a Test match in England.