NEW DELHI: Shubman Gill delivered a captain’s knock in his very first outing as India’s Test skipper, scoring a magnificent 147 in the first Test against England at Headingley, Leeds. This was his maiden Test century as captain, and it came in a crucial moment as India looked to assert dominance early in the five-match series.Gill looked poised for a double hundred but fell short when he attempted an aggressive slog-flick off England spinner Shoaib Bashir. With mid-wicket left open, Gill tried to target the deep, but the ball caught the inner half of his bat and went straight into the hands of Josh Tongue at deep square leg. He appeared to be eyeing his 150 in style, but mistimed the stroke, ending a stellar innings.As Gill walked off the field, Headingley rose in applause. His teammates and fans gave him a standing ovation, appreciating not just the runs but the temperament he showed under pressure. Photographers lined the boundary to capture the emotional moment of the young Indian captain heading back to the pavilion — bat raised, eyes filled with tears after a career-defining knock.
Gill has taken over the Test captaincy following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the longest format just before the England tour. With a young squad under his leadership, Gill’s men are on a mission to end a long drought — India’s last Test series win in England came in 2007 under Rahul Dravid. Before that, historic triumphs were recorded in 1971 under Ajit Wadekar and in 1986 under Kapil Dev.Now, under the leadership of a calm yet expressive Gill, India are aiming to script a new chapter in their Test history — and his emotional 147 may well be the first step toward that goal.
