Shubman Gill slams 7th test century in 2nd test against England

Indian Test skipper Shubman Gill led from the front in the second Test against England at Edgbaston and scored a magnificent 100 on the first day of the game after being put into bat.

It was Gill’s 7th Test Hundred in the longest format of the game and was special as he had scored a hundred in the first Test of five match series as well. With this, Gill has become the first Indian batter to score 100 runs on the opening day of a Test in England on two separate instances (and 13th Indian overall).

Gill was named India’s Test Captain following the retirement of star batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. However, instead of succumbing to pressure, the added responsibility has flourished his batting.

During his innings on Wednesday, he displayed calm and composure as he not only pulled his side out of trouble but took the team total past 300.

The elegant right-handed batter, who hails from Punjab, reached the three-figure mark, with a boundary and his celebration after it showed what the century meant to him.

At the other end was experienced all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who played second fiddle and supported his skipper.

Earlier, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal confined his rich form by scoring 87 off 107 balls and missed a deserving century. The other top order batters faltered as the visitors slipped to 211 for 5 and were in a spot of bother. But then Jadeja joined Gill, who was going strong from one end and the two ensured England doesn’t have an upper hand.

The day belonged to Gill, who took on the English bowlers, with utmost ease. There was no aggressive in his knock, as he played to the situation.

Gill is the third India captain with hundreds in consecutive Tests against England, after Vijay Hazare (Delhi and Brabourne in 1951-52) and Mohammad Azharuddin (Lord’s and Old Trafford in 1990).

At stumps on Day-1, India finished on 310/5. Skipper Gill remains unbeaten on 114, while Jadeja is nearing his half century. (ETV Bharat Sport)