Take a bow, mentor Yuvraj Singh says after captain Gill's epic 269
For Yuvraj Singh, the former India allrounder who had spent countless hours in mentoring the duo of Shubman Gill and T20 star Abhishek Sharma, the first two days at Edgbaston had been a huge moment of pride. A white ball giant of Indian cricket, Yuvi led the cheerleaders for the new Test captain as Gill became the first Asian captain to score a double hundred in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries.
“Take a bow @ShubmanGill! Making it look so easy on the big stage! Well played and well deserved double century, an example of being unstoppable when the intent is clear,” Yuvraj wrote on his X handle.
Little master Sachin Tendulkar came out to appreciate the commitment shown by Gill and senior allrounder Ravindra Jadeja. The country of a billion people were waiting in anticipation if the Punjab da puttar
Jadeja, the seniormost member of the team after the exit of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravi Ashwin, applied himself for a patient 89 as he and Gill stitched together a game-changing 203-run partnership for the sixth wicket. “Very pleased to see the intent and commitment shown by @ShubmanGill and @imjadeja today. Well played!” said Tendulkar.
Mohammed Shami, the veteran pacer who missed out on the series due to a persistent injury, said: ‘’Some knocks are just special. This one? Truly historic. 269 in England – the highest ever by an Indian. Take a bow, skipper @shubmangill.’’
Ravi Ashwin, active on social media, says on social media: ‘’A double for Gill. Fabulous start to his leadership stint, this would do him a world of good moving forward. It’s time for India to bat all day now.’’
Gill, in the process, became only the sixth Indian captain to score a double hundred – the others being MAK Pataudi, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. Out of this exclusive club, Kohli is the only captain to score a double ton in an away Test, making Gill just the second Indian captain to get a double in an overseas Test.
A plethora of records fell by the wayside as he also overtook Gavaskar's 221 at The Oval in 1979 to become the highest rungetter for India in an innings in England. Gavaskar - a keen admirer of Gill's classical style ever since he broke into the scene - passed a huge smile when the on-air commentator mentioned that his record was broken.
Gill also becomes the second-youngest captain after Pataudi to reach the landmark in Tests. This double hundred was also the highest score by an Indian captain away from home, overtaking Kohli’s 200 against West Indies at North Sound in 2016.