Indian skipper Shubman Gill etched another milestone in his rising career on Day 4 of the Manchester Test, overtaking Virat Kohli’s 2014-15 tally to register the most runs by an Indian batter in a single SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) tour.
Gill remained unbeaten on 78 at stumps, taking his series tally to a remarkable 697 runs in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy — with another full day in this Test and a fifth Test at The Oval still to come. In doing so, he surpassed Kohli’s 692-run haul during the 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.
At just 25, Gill has also recorded the second-highest run tally by an Indian Test captain in a series — home or away — trailing only Sunil Gavaskar’s legendary 732-run effort against West Indies in 1978-79, achieved across six Tests. With Gill’s current form, Gavaskar’s long-standing record could soon be under threat.
Notably, Gill has already registered three centuries in this series. Should he convert his current innings into a fourth hundred on Day 5, he will join an elite trio with Don Bradman and Gavaskar as the only captains to score four centuries in a single Test series.
Meanwhile, Kohli’s 655-run mark in the 2016-17 home series against England now drops in the pecking order of top performances by Indian captains.
The fourth Test has seen India mount a strong comeback after early second-innings blows. Chasing a daunting 311-run lead after England posted 669 in their first innings, India began on a shaky note with both openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan dismissed for ducks.
However, a resilient and composed 174-run partnership between KL Rahul (87*) and Gill (78*) stabilized the innings. India ended Day 4 at 174/2, still trailing by 137 runs but going into the final day with momentum on their side.
England remained wicketless in the final session, with Indian batters adding 126 runs — showcasing grit and determination in the face of scoreboard pressure.
As Day 5 approaches, India’s hopes rest on this formidable partnership. If Gill and Rahul can continue their heroics, not only will India have a chance to escape defeat, but Gill might also rewrite a few more records in the process.