Shubman Gill scores gritty fifty in first innings as India’s Test captain

Just as a confident Shubman Gill had declared that India `will not look back` ahead of their opening Test against England, the young captain lived up to his words with an authoritative half-century. Reaching the milestone in just 56 deliveries, Gill’s innings was not only fluent but symbolically significant.

At just 26, Gill was handed dual responsibility, leading India for the first time in the longest format and stepping into the high-pressure No. 4 position left vacant by Virat Kohli.

Gill took guard in the 26th over, moments after KL Rahul’s dismissal broke India’s solid 91-run opening partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal. With Ben Stokes still midway through his over, India were in a delicate phase. A quick collapse could have undone the good work by the openers. Much like debutant Sai Sudharsan earlier, Gill appeared slightly nervy early on. Though he got off the mark with his second delivery, his urgency to rotate the strike hinted at nerves beneath the surface.

A moment of fortune came in the 27th over, when a direct hit attempt from Ollie Pope missed its mark. Had it connected, Gill’s innings could’ve ended prematurely. But that narrow escape seemed to snap him into focus. England’s strategy was clear: target his stumps with the incoming delivery. But Gill, anticipating the plan, was better prepared.

Chris Woakes, who had been identified as his primary threat, posed immediate challenges. In the 32nd over, Woakes managed to beat Gill’s bat with an outswinger and then struck him on the pads. Yet, Gill stood firm, and what followed was a turning point. In the same over, he unleashed two glorious boundaries—one driven past mid-off, the other through the covers.

The Headingley surface offered value for good shots and initially looked ideal for batting. Openers Jaiswal and Rahul capitalised on that, putting on 91 runs before the tide turned late in the morning session. Brydon Carse’s sharp delivery removed Rahul for 42 just before lunch, while Ben Stokes sent Sudharsan back for a four-ball duck, derailing India’s early momentum.

India`s playing XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

This article first appeared on Mid Day