Dipak Kurmi
In the storied annals of Indian cricket, the transfer of leadership has always been more than just a change of guard—it is a cultural reckoning, a generational transition, and often, a referendum on character. From the firebrand instincts of Sourav Ganguly to the icy tactical precision of MS Dhoni, and the passionate dominance of Virat Kohli, the Indian Test captaincy has never been a ceremonial post. It has demanded not only skill, but gravitas. Into this cauldron stepped Shubman Gill—soft-spoken, restrained, unassuming. And now, two Tests into his reign, he has shattered doubts and stitched a legacy in the making, with a monumental performance that could alter the course of Indian cricket.
In the second Test of the ongoing series against England, at the hallowed turf of Edgbaston, Gill didn’t just score runs—he authored a manifesto. His knock of 269 was not only the highest by an Indian captain in England but one that poetically matched Virat Kohli’s Test cap number, 269. It was a performance brimming with symbolism, skill, and steely resolve—an innings of such calibre that it immediately quieted those who had questioned his appointment and affirmed that the prince had indeed become the king.
Gill’s journey to this moment began years ago, as a teenager in Punjab, meticulously tracking Kohli’s scores in age-group cricket, comparing them with his own, seeking validation from numbers. His admiration for Kohli was open and obsessive. But what sets Gill apart is that he didn't simply seek to follow Kohli—he sought to understand, evolve, and transcend. And now, as captain of the Indian Test team, following the retirement of both Kohli and Rohit Sharma from the longest format, Gill has made that dream real.
When the series began, Gill’s credentials as a player were never in doubt. But his readiness for captaincy came under scrutiny. Even Rohit Sharma had once remarked that “the boys aren’t ready yet,” a telling comment that cast a long shadow. When Gill unveiled a new bat bearing the tagline “prince” before the England series, it was met with mild mockery in cricket circles—seen by some as a presumptuous claim to a crown not yet earned. And after the loss in the first Test at Headingley, where India crumbled and Gill seemed adrift amidst an onslaught of tactical uncertainty, those whispers grew louder.
Critics like Mike Atherton and Nasser Hussain noted a “lack of aura” and “captaincy by committee” in Gill’s on-field presence. The constant input from senior teammates like KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant, combined with decisions coming from the dressing room, suggested indecision. England, powered by Bazball aggression, took a 1-0 lead with a five-wicket win, and Gill’s credentials as a leader seemed under siege.
But Test cricket, unlike its shorter cousins, rewards patience and punishes impulsiveness. And Gill showed he possessed the most important trait of leadership—learning quickly from mistakes. In the second Test at Edgbaston, he answered criticism not with rhetoric but with a batting masterclass. India, reeling at 211 for 5 on a batting-friendly surface and having controversially benched Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav, was in danger of collapse. But Gill held firm. He mixed poise with authority, restraint with aggression, to craft a match-defining 269—an innings stitched with nearly 600 minutes of mental application and technical purity.
The psychological lift this innings gave to the Indian camp was immense. It wasn’t just the runs; it was the tone. The young captain took charge of the innings when the team needed calmness, clarity, and courage. It was the sort of knock that compels teammates to believe, coaches to trust, and critics to retreat.
India eventually went on to win the match by a colossal 336 runs—its biggest overseas Test victory and a first for any Asian side at Edgbaston. The series now stands level at 1-1, but more importantly, the narrative has shifted. Former coach Ravi Shastri termed it an “unbelievable performance,” noting that “India has dominated 90 percent of the ten days of Test cricket in this series so far.” The turnaround, he emphasized, was as mental as it was tactical. “It’s not easy when you’ve dominated and still lost. But to bounce back like this, it takes character,” he told Sky Sports.
Integral to that bounce-back was India’s bowling unit, which performed remarkably in Bumrah’s absence. The trio of Akash Deep, Mohammad Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna took 17 out of 20 English wickets at Edgbaston. Of these, Akash Deep emerged as the unexpected hero—claiming ten wickets, including a six-wicket haul in the second innings. The 28-year-old’s control and discipline brought not just wickets but psychological pressure on the English batting order.
One tactical move that stunned observers was Gill’s decision to switch Akash Deep’s bowling end on Day 5, despite his success with the new ball from the other end the previous evening. Nasser Hussain, who had earlier lamented Gill’s lack of authority, admitted on commentary that it was a masterstroke. “That’s not a move any other captain would’ve made,” he said. “It was subtle, it was brave, and it worked.”
Hussain also publicly reversed his earlier critique. “He’s never going to be a Kohli-type character. He’s calm, composed, and has a low heartbeat. That’s what this team might need right now,” he noted. Watching from the commentary box, Hussain observed that Gill was now clearly “in charge”—a visible leader, making field placements, guiding bowlers, and commanding the camera’s attention not as a symbol but as the nerve centre of his side.
Gill’s personal statistics in the match were staggering: 430 runs—269 in the first innings and 161 in the second—the most runs by a captain in a single Test match in history. His series tally now approaches 600 runs in just two Tests. Former England captain Michael Vaughan compared the Indian skipper to England opener Zak Crawley—unflatteringly so. Crawley, Vaughan noted, has played 56 Tests, scored just five centuries, and averages only 31. Among openers with 2,500-plus runs, he has the lowest average in history. Vaughan advised Crawley to take inspiration from Gill—who, before the series, averaged 35 but has now raised it to 42 through technical adjustments and mental focus.
“Gill recognised that he was vulnerable to lbw. He adjusted his hand position, played tighter, and focused on defence before attacking. It’s mindset and strategy,” Vaughan wrote in The Telegraph.
This capacity for introspection and adjustment is rare in young cricketers. Many have talent. Few can evolve. Gill’s ability to reflect, recalibrate, and respond makes him a unique leader in Indian cricket’s lineage. He doesn’t dazzle with bravado; he dominates with precision. His calm is not weakness—it is a weapon.
And with Jasprit Bumrah returning for the third Test at Lord’s, the Indian side suddenly looks more potent than ever. A rested Bumrah will join forces with a rejuvenated Akash Deep, a relentless Siraj, and a focused Prasidh Krishna. As Shastri noted, “England’s style of play will be tested now. This Indian bowling attack is no joke. On good surfaces, England’s attack looks ordinary by comparison.”
With the team reinvigorated and the leadership question firmly answered, India now finds itself on the cusp of a new golden chapter. Gill, the teenager who once worshipped Kohli’s stats, has now surpassed them—both literally and symbolically. But more than the numbers, it is his evolution as a captain that stands out. From being accused of lacking aura to being hailed for subtle brilliance, his transformation has been swift and significant.
In a cricket culture that often seeks its heroes in noise and flamboyance, Shubman Gill offers something different—still waters that run deep. He leads not by raising his voice, but by raising his game. And in the crucible of English conditions, under the weight of legacy, scrutiny, and responsibility, he has emerged not just as a batsman of substance, but a leader of destiny.
India marches to Lord’s not just to win another Test, but to continue a journey now driven by belief, clarity, and purpose. The king is young, but the kingdom is already beginning to follow.
The Gill era has begun—and it's already rewriting history.
(The writer can be reached at dipakkurmiglpltd@gmail.com)
