Former India head coach Ravi Shastri said India captain Shubman Gill batted like Don Bradman in the second Test against England at Edgbaston. There was a lot of pressure on Shubman Gill, who, despite scoring a 147 in the first Test at Headingley, couldn’t lead India to victory. In the second Test, however, Gill broke multiple records with 269 in the first innings and then followed it up with 161 in the second to help India register their biggest-ever away win by 336 runs.
Shastri gave Gill full marks for his batting and captaincy and said that he reminded him of the legendary former Australia batter Don Bradman, who still has the best average (99.94) in the history of Test cricket.
“The best by a captain. 10 out of 10,” Shastri said in a Sky Sports podcast that also featured former England captains Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain and former India keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik. “I mean, you can’t ask for anything more from a captain. You are 1-0 down in the series, you come out there and you bat like Bradman. 268 (269) and a 161 and you ended up winning the game.
“Your captaincy was very reactive in the first Test. You followed the ball. But you were very proactive in the next game. You might have just unearthed the best seamer for English conditions in this Indian line-up by picking Akash Deep, who will trouble England as this series progresses,” Shastri added.
Gill lit up the contest with a maiden double century, amassing 269 in India’s first innings—a new record for an Indian captain in England, surpassing Virat Kohli’s 254*. His elegant knock, spanning 387 balls and studded with 30 fours and 3 sixes, took India to a formidable 587. Additionally, he smashed numerous records, including becoming the first Asian captain to hit a double ton in England.
