The symbolism was hard to miss as India's young Test captain Shubman Gill raised his bat to the Edgbaston crowd on Wednesday, Day 1 of the second Test match versus England.
Occupying the iconic No. 4 slot, once held by legends such as Sachin Tendulkar and more recently, Virat Kohli.
Gill didn't just steady a shaky Indian innings; he announced that the legacy is in safe hands. In only his second Test match in England as skipper, Gill brought up back-to-back centuries.
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With a calm, methodical approach at the crease, the 25-year-old ended Day 1 unbeaten on 114: his slowest century in Tests but arguably one of his most significant.
Mohammad Kaif draws Tendulkar, Kohli and Gill parallel
Former India batter Mohammad Kaif captured the moment with a tribute on social media. He reflected on the tradition of world-class No. 4s in Indian cricket.
More: Is Yashasvi Jaiswal India's best batsman away from home? Listing the opener's record in away Tests
"Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and now Shubman Gill... India is always blessed to have a solid world-class batsman at No. 4. May this continue forever. Gill continuing a great tradition," he wrote on X.
With his ton in Birmingham, Gill became only the second Indian captain after Mohammad Azharuddin to score centuries in each of the first two Tests of a series in England. It was also his seventh Test hundred: a mark he reached in 199 deliveries.
India closed Day 1 at 310/5 with Ravindra Jadeja scoring 41* at the other end. The knock was another reminder that Gill is not just stepping into Kohli’s shoes; he is carving out his own legacy.
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India made three changes for this match, including resting Jasprit Bumrah as part of workload management. The team's focus was clearly on bouncing back from the first Test loss. With Gill and Jaiswal setting the tone, India will hope to build a strong platform in the series.
India’s confirmed playing XI in IND vs ENG 2nd Test at Edgbaston
India have made three changes to the lineup that played the first Test at Headingley. Jasprit Bumrah, Sai Sudharshan and Shardul Thakur were replaced by Akash Deep, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar. Kuldeep Yadav failed to make the lineup.
Confirmed Playing XI (India):
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- KL Rahul
- Karun Nair
- Shubman Gill (c)
- Rishabh Pant (wk)
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Washington Sundar
- Akash Deep,
- Mohammed Siraj
- Prasidh Krishna
Check: IND vs ENG 2nd Test: What is India's record in Tests at Edgbaston, Birmingham?