Shubman Gill couldn’t have had a finer beginning to his captaincy tenure in Test cricket. On the first day of the first Test against England at Headingley, the 25-year-old set the tone from the front with a match-winning unbeaten 127, guiding India to a dominant 359 for 3 at stumps.
It wasn’t merely about the runs. With this century, Gill reached the 2,000-run milestone in Test cricket. He became only the second Indian to do so, joining Virat Kohli while being the team’s captain for the first time. He was also the 23rd player in history to score a hundred in his first innings as Test skipper. Among them, he is the fourth youngest after Herbie Taylor, Alastair Cook and Steven Smith.
But despite all the approval, an off-field detail might prove troublesome. During Day 1, Gill wore black socks, a small decision that could get him into trouble. According to ICC dress codes, Test match players are required to wear white, cream or light grey coloured socks.
The last word on the issue will be that of ICC match referee Richie Richardson, who will determine if Gill’s sock selection warrants a fine or not.
Vice-captain Rishabh Pant also chipped in with the bat and was looking solid. He was unbeaten on 65 and reached the 3,000-run benchmark in Test cricket. As both the batsmen are still at the crease, India will seek to take their lead further on Day 2.
England bowling coach Tim Southee praised the depth and quality of the Indian Test side after a commanding performance by the visitors on Day 1 of the first Test against England at Headingley.
“I think the class of Indian side, no matter how many games they have played, is always going to be pretty good. They’re certainly talented cricketers,” Southee said.
He reserved special praise for Jaiswal and Gill, both of whom played pivotal roles in setting the tone for India.
“You look at Jaiswal, who’s early on in his career he’s had a tremendous start to his Test career. And Shubman Gill, in his first Test match as captain, played a great knock as well,” Southee added.
“I think the Indian openers sort of negotiated the first hour reasonably well, KL Rahul left balls well, and Yashasvi Jaiswal played his hand as well throughout,” he added.
Southee also praised England test skipper Ben Stokes, citing him as the X-factor for his team.
“He’s (Ben Stokes) a real X-Factor player, and we saw that today with a couple of breakthroughs that he was able to make and I guess when he’s doing that, it’s tough to get the ball out of his hand,” Tim Southee added.
Jaiswal set the tone with a sparkling 101 off 159 balls, featuring sixteen boundaries and a six. Gill took over with a captain’s knock, showing maturity and poise throughout his unbeaten 127-run effort.
The stylish right-hander struck sixteen fours and a maximum in his 175-ball stay, steering India to their highest-ever first-day total in a Test match on English soil. Pant supported his skipper, remaining unbeaten on 65 from 102 deliveries.
His innings was laced with six fours and two towering sixes, and he looked in full control alongside Gill in their unbroken 138-run partnership. In the process, Gill crossed the 2,000-run milestone in Test cricket, while Pant breached the 3,000-run mark.
(With Inputs From ANI)
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