NEW DELHI, JULY 7 (AFP/APP/DNA):New captain Shubman Gill was hailed Monday for leading from the front after India recorded their maiden Test win at Edgbaston to level the series against England 1-1.
Gill, who notched a century in a losing cause in the first Test at Headingley, hit new heights in scoring 269 and 161 to set up a crushing victory by 336 runs which leaves the five-match series finely poised.
It was India’s first win in nine Tests at the Birmingham venue, following seven previous defeats and one draw.
“New captain, new India”, The Indian Express newspaper splashed across its front page.
Gill, 25, became the youngest Indian Test skipper to register an overseas win in just his second match in charge following the retirement of Rohit Sharma.
he eclipsed Sunil Gavaskar, who was 26 when he led India to victory over New Zealand at Auckland in 1976.
Gill came into the series with concerns over his batting average overseas, which had been less than 30, but he has shut down all the noise by stroking a remarkable 585 runs from four innings.
Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar called it a “Shublime innings from the man of the moment,” offering his congratulations for “powering India to a brilliant Test victory.”
Tendulkar, writing on social media, added: “India’s approach was to take England out of this game and force them to play differently, making sure that there would only be one winner.”