Shubman Gill has already beaten Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma in captaincy

Former cricketer Hemang Badani has showered praise on Shubman Gill for his century in the second Test of the five-match series against England. Badani said that Gill is managing a much younger and less experienced side, unlike former captains Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who led settled squads.

Shubman Gill continued his fine form with the bat, guiding India to a decent position on Day 1 of the second Test against England at Edgbaston on Wednesday, July 2. The right-handed batter scored an unbeaten 114 runs from 216 balls, with the help of 12 boundaries, before stumps on the opening day.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma Had a Set Team - Hemang Badani

During a discussion on Sony Sports, Hemang Badani pointed out that Shubman Gill has answered critics who once questioned his ability to perform in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia). Badani said that Gill is showing maturity and composure while leading from the front.

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"Before this season, there were a lot of discussions that he doesn't score runs in SENA countries. He let the bat do the talking. He scored a century in the first match and a century in this match as well. As it's said, captaincy suits some people. Captaincy is suiting him," the former India batter said.

"I would also like to say that he is the captain of a young team. There is a lot of burden on him. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma had a set team. This is an absolutely new team, and he knows he has to do something as a batter. He is handling the pressure very well," he added.

India collapsed to 211/5, but Gill and Ravindra Jadeja, who remained not out on 41 off 67 deliveries, added an unbeaten 99-run stand for the sixth wicket. India closed the day at 310/5 in their first innings. Gill had scored 147 in the first Test at Leeds.

Shubman Gill Had to Work Extremely Hard Today - Saba Karim

During the same discussion, former India wicketkeeper-batter Saba Karim said that Shubman Gill overcame the challenges as Test captain. Karim noted that England’s fast bowlers adopted a different strategy against Gill, targeting the stumps more consistently than before.

"What better start could you have had as a captain? Shubman had to work extremely hard today (Wednesday). The England pacers had a different approach today. They applied different tactics against Shubman Gill. The attack was more within the stumps, and Shubman prepared very well for that," he said.

Shubman Gill Negated England’s Attack Exceptionally - Saba Karim

The former India selector said that the 25-year-old handled the English pace attack with great control and showed more control while facing spinner Shoaib Bashir. Karim said that he deserved the century, but the job is not yet finished.

"He negated exceptionally whatever the England pace bowlers offered to him. He played a more controlled knock against Shoaib Bashir. Shubman needed to bat solidly when two wickets had fallen quickly. It was a fully deserved century. He constructed his knock brilliantly, although the job is still incomplete," Saba observed.

India are trailing 0-1 in the ongoing Test series against England. England successfully chased a 371-run target in the fourth innings to register a memorable five-wicket win, the tenth-highest successful run chase in Test history.

Also read: India vs England Weather Report Day 2, Edgbaston Test 2025