And in doing so, Shubman Gill has made cricket—#IncredibleIndia crickets—history! He went on to make, as statistics later revealed, the safest Test century of all time in India’s Test against England at Headingley, Birmingham. He went on to play a superb innings of 114 not out, proving that he might be the best batsman in the world today. Little known fact — that was his first win as a captain! The Indian batting order was led by opener Shubman Gill, leading to a stellar first day for the Indian side at 310-5.
Gill’s innings featured a sixth-wicket partnership of 66 runs with teammate Yashasvi Jaiswal, the Indian cricketer offering Gill valuable support during their pivotal stand. Both players exhibited a ball player’s mentality, but Gill was especially intent on punishing anything that England coughed up. He played smart, waiting long for his chances and then putting the ball to the boundary when he found one. This crafty shift proved extremely beneficial during the course of his innings.
Statistically, Gill’s performance was remarkably secure. He made it to 20 runs without playing an outside edge – a feat in itself – passing Chris Woakes with only two outside edges on record. Most memorably, he survived an inside edge that denied Brydon Carse and the rest of the top order a full lbw review. In doing so, he earned a phenomenal 3.5% false shot percentage. It is the lowest percentage in none of the eight previous Test hundreds in England, where he typically averages 1-5 times higher at 9%.
Gill’s road to this century was strategic and methodical. It took him 125 balls to get to his half-century, and then only another 74 balls to convert that into a hundred. This disciplined approach reflects his evolution as a player, especially considering he had previously averaged only 14.66 in six innings during his earlier tours in England. His captaincy, starting since May and doubted at first due to doubts over his performance away from home, is now vindicated thanks to this brilliant return.
The accomplishment was lauded by both her teammates and rival athletes. Yashasvi Jaiswal expressed admiration for Gill’s form, stating, “The way he is batting has been incredible to see.” He emphasized Gill’s clarity of mind during the innings, saying, “He is very clear in his head what he needs to do.”
Chris Woakes, reflecting on the bowling efforts against Gill, noted the challenges faced: “It felt like we were close to getting him lbw where he got a little inside edge.” To close out our series on Test cricket, this commentary highlights the struggles bowlers experience while going up against such a concentrated and stubborn batsman.
Gill’s 114 not out stands as not only a personal best for him but as the highest score by an overseas player at Headingley since Jacques Kallis’ 182 not out back in 2012. Since that performance, he has drawn frequent and enthusiastic comparisons with modern-day geniuses like Rahul Dravid, Ricky Ponting and Kumar Sangakkara. It really does highlight just how momentous Gill’s achievement is within the 300-year history of cricket.
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