Shubman Gill etched his name in cricket history on July 5, 2025, during the second Test against England at Edgbaston, Birmingham, by scoring a record-breaking century and setting England a mammoth target of 608 runs to win. Gill's magnificent performance led India to a commanding position.
Gill's Edgbaston masterclass saw him amass an aggregate of 369 runs in the match, eclipsing Sunil Gavaskar's previous record of 344 against the West Indies in 1971 for the most runs by an Indian in a single Test match. His individual score of 269* in the first innings is now the highest ever by an Indian captain in a Test match, surpassing Virat Kohli's 243 against Sri Lanka in Delhi in 2017.
The young captain's remarkable form has been a series highlight, starting with a brilliant 147 at Headingley in the first Test. Gill has displayed maturity and class in challenging English conditions, solidifying his position as the backbone of India's batting lineup. His calm and stylish batting has earned him praise from fans and experts alike.
Gill's achievement extends beyond individual milestones. He is now the highest run-scorer in a debut Test series as India's captain, with 460 runs in just four innings, overtaking Virat Kohli's previous record of 449 runs during India's 2014/15 tour of Australia. Gill is also the second player after Virat Kohli to record three hundreds in his first two Tests as captain.
Moreover, Gill became the first Indian to score more than 250 outside the Indian subcontinent, breaking Sachin Tendulkar's record of 241. He is also only the third Asian to score 300-plus runs in a Test in a SENA country (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) after Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar.
Gill has been involved in three 100-plus partnerships in the Edgbaston Test, making him only the second Indian batter to achieve this against England, following Karun Nair in Chennai in 2016. He joins Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar as the third Indian to stitch three 100-plus stands in an away Test.
England now faces a daunting task, needing to score 608 runs to win the Test. India needs to add more runs to their lead and bring England into bat and target a few wickets. The scale of the challenge is immense, requiring a record-breaking effort from the English batting lineup to chase down the target set by India. With the pitch offering increasing assistance to the bowlers, India will be confident in their ability to apply pressure and secure a victory. England began their chase poorly, losing Zak Crawley for a duck early in their innings.
