India’s newly appointed captain Shubman Gill continued his magnificent form, smashing his maiden Test double hundred on Day 2 of the second Test against England at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Thursday.

After Gill resumed his knock on overnight score of 114 not out, the Gujarat Titans skipper once again was unstoppable on Day 2 as he played some scintillating shots to record his first double century in Test cricket. His majestic knock was laced with 30 fours and three sixes.

While Gill was dismissed for 269, the Titans superstar shattered multiple records during his exceptional knock.

 

Highest score by an Indian captain in Tests in England

With his maiden double ton, Gill recorded the highest score by an Indian captain in a Test match in England, surpassing Mohammad Azharuddin’s 179 in Manchester in 1990.

Highest score by an Indian captain away from home

Gill also broke Virat Kohli’s record for the highest score by an Indian captain away from home. Kohli previously held the record after he scored 200 against West Indies at North Sound in 2016.

Second-youngest to score a Test double century as India captain

At 25 years and 298 days, Gill became the second-youngest to score a Test double century as India captain, just behind legendary Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, who was the youngest to achieve the feat against England in Delhi in 1964 at the age of 23 years and 39 days.

Highest individual score by an Indian in England in Tests

Later, Gill bagged the record for the highest individual score by an Indian in England in Test cricket. India’s new Test skipper eclipsed Sunil Gavaskar’s 221 at the Oval in 1979.

Gill continued his sensational knock as he later brought up 250, and became the first Indian to accomplish the milestone outside of the subcontinent. 

Highest individual score by an Indian captain in Test cricket

He soon registered the highest individual score by an Indian captain in Test cricket history, breaking Kohli’s long-standing record. The former India captain was the previous record holder with an unbeaten 254 against South Africa in Pune in 2019.

First Indian captain to score 400-plus runs in overseas Test series

Gill also became the first Indian captain to amass over 400 runs in an overseas Test series at just 25 years old. 

Gill’s highest first-class score 

However, Gill later departed for 269 in the third session on Day 2 to record his highest first-class score and power India to 587 in their first innings.

 

Third-highest score by a visiting Test captain in England

He recorded the third-highest score by a visiting Test captain in England, only behind Australia’s Bob Simpson (311) and South Africa’s Graeme Smith (277).

Third-highest individual score for India in away Tests

GIll also finished with the third-highest score for India in away Tests. Former opening batter Virender Sehwag (309) and Rahul Dravid (270) are ahead on the list. 

Fourth Indian cricketer to score centuries in the first two Tests as captain

Earlier on Day 1, Gill etched his name into Indian cricketing folklore by becoming the fourth Indian cricketer to score centuries in the first two Tests as skipper.

After slamming his seventh Test hundred and second as India’s Test skipper on Day 1, Gill joined an elite list featuring Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar and Virat Kohli.

Second Indian to score centuries in first two Tests of a series in England

Furthermore, Gill became just the ninth visiting captain and the second Indian to score tons in both the first and second Tests of a series in England.

Don Bradman (1938), Alan Melville (1947), Lindsay Hassett (1953), Garfield Sobers (1966), Bevan Congdon (1973), Mohammad Azharuddin (1990) and Graeme Smith (2003) are the other visiting captains to record centuries in each of the first two Tests in England.

Second Indian captain to score a century at Edgbaston

Gill also became just the second Indian captain to slam a century at Edgbaston after Virat Kohli (2018), and the third to record a fifty-plus score alongside MS Dhoni (2011).

Third Indian captain to score centuries in back-to-back Tests against England

The 25-year-old also became the third Indian captain to score centuries in back-to-back Tests against England after Vijay Hazare and Mohammad Azharuddin.

Batting at No.4, Gill walked in to bat when India were reduced to 95/2 just before lunch on the opening day of the second Test.

Gill looked in great touch and forged an impressive 66-run partnership with opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal for the third wicket to power the visitors to 182/3 at the end of the second session.

Despite losing Jaiswal for 87, Gill and vice-captain Rishabh Pant then added 47 runs. However, Pant and Nitish Kumar Reddy fell in quick succession.

Gill and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja later stitched a fifty-plus stand to guide India out of trouble.

Meanwhile, Gill brought up his brilliant century in the 80th over. India were 310/5 at stumps on Day 1, with Gill (114 not out) and Jadeja (41 not out) at the crease.

Previously, in the first Test at Headingley, Gill smashed 147 in the first innings and became the fifth Indian to score a century on Test captaincy debut. He joined an elite list comprising Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar and Virat Kohli.

Since his Test debut in December 2020, Gill has now recorded four Test centuries against England. He has also slammed three fifties versus England in cricket’s longest format.