Shubman Gill topples yet another Virat Kohli record despite underwhelming show at Lord’s

LONDON: Shubman Gill, who has developed an appetite for breaking milestones, continued with the trend and added another feather to his cap by shattering batting mainstay Virat Kohli’s record for most runs by an Indian captain in a Test series in England.

On the second day of the third Test at the ‘Home of Cricket’, Lord’s, the Indian Test skipper, Gill, failed to replicate his century-scoring success but managed enough to breeze past Virat’s tally. The former captain pummelled 593 runs in India’s tour of England in 2016 in five matches at 59.30, laced with two centuries and three fifties.

Gill, who took over Virat’s number four spot, needed just five innings in the ongoing tour to dethrone Virat from the top. He mustered up 16 runs from 44 deliveries with the bat, which soared his tally to 601 runs at a stellar average of 120.20. Former skipper Mohammad Azharuddin slipped to the third spot with 426 runs at 85.20 during India’s tour of England in 1990.

England’s most experienced pacer, Chris Woakes, got the better of India’s youngest Test skipper in the final session of an enticing day. Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith stood close to the stumps, a ploy England has tried out in the previous Tests as well.

With a wobbly seam, Woakes dispatched the delivery in the channel just outside off. Gill lunged forward to block the ball but gave away a feather of an outside edge, which flew into Smith’s gloves. After the Indian skipper returned to the dressing room, his deputy Rishabh Pant and opener KL Rahul stitched an unbeaten 38-run stand to propel India to 145/3.

Despite a mundane outing, Gill has relished the purple patch by dazzling on the crease with a refined batting technique. Following his ground-breaking exploits at Edgbaston, he gained 15 places to move to a career-best rating of sixth spot. He hammered 269 and 161 to cap off a superb individual match, notching his first victory as Test captain and India’s maiden at Edgbaston.

During India’s series-levelling victory in Birmingham, he toppled Virat (243 and 50) to boast the highest aggregate by an Indian captain in a Test match. Virat’s effort came against Sri Lanka at his home stadium, Arun Jaitley Stadium, back in December 2017. (ANI)