India captain Shubman Gill entered Test cricket history on Sunday by recording the second-highest batting average for a captain. Gill achieved the milestone after scoring a fifty in India's first innings on Day 1 (Sunday, August 23) of the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo.
India won the toss and chose to bat first but lost Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul early in the innings. Gill then joined Devdutt Padikkal and added 120 runs for the third wicket, helping India recover strongly. The Men in Blue scored 187/3 at the tea break, with Padikkal (63 runs) and Rishabh Pant (0) at the crease.
Shubman Gill Second Only to Sir Don Bradman in Test Captaincy Average
Shubman Gill scored 1,150 Test runs in 17 innings as India captain, with an average of 71.87. Among Test captains with at least 1,000 runs, only Australia legend Sir Don Bradman has a better average.
Bradman is at the top of the list with 3,147 runs in 38 innings at an extraordinary average of 101.51. Gill is second, ahead of Kumar Sangakkara, who averaged 69.60 as Sri Lanka captain, and Steve Smith, who scored 4,425 runs at an average of 68.07 while leading Australia.
Highest average as captain in Tests (minimum 1,000 runs):
| Player | Team | Innings | Runs | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Don Bradman | Australia | 38 | 3,147 | 101.51 |
| Shubman Gill | India | 17* | 1,150 | 71.87 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | 26 | 1,601 | 69.60 |
| Steve Smith | Australia | 77 | 4,425 | 68.07 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | Sri Lanka | 66 | 3,665 | 59.11 |
| Sir Garry Sobers | West Indies | 71 | 3,528 | 58.80 |
| Graham Gooch | England | 63 | 3,582 | 58.72 |
| Brian Lara | West Indies | 85 | 4,685 | 57.83 |
Shubman Gill and Devdutt Padikkal Add 120 Runs for Third Wicket
Shubman Gill and Devdutt Padikkal took control after India lost both openers in the morning session. Padikkal, who survived two early chances, handled Sri Lanka's pace and spin well. He completed his half-century off 90 balls against Prabath Jayasuriya.
Gill remained patient at the other end and completed his ninth Test fifty and first in Sri Lanka. The India captain reached the landmark with a single towards fine leg. Gill and Padikkal added 120 runs from 209 balls for the third wicket to put India back in control.
Asitha Fernando ended the partnership shortly before tea. Gill chased a back-of-a-length delivery outside off and edged it behind, where Niroshan Dickwella completed the catch on the second attempt. The India captain departed for 50 off 104 balls after hitting four boundaries.
Fernando nearly struck again before the break when an inswinging delivery hit Rishabh Pant on the pad. Sri Lanka appealed for lbw, but the umpire turned it down. India reached 187/3 after 52 overs at tea.
India had earlier won the toss and chosen to bat, with Saransh Jain making his Test debut after Kuldeep Yadav missed out due to illness. Sri Lanka also handed Kamil Mishara his debut. KL Rahul made 18, while Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 45 before both openers departed.
