India's latest Test captain Shubman Gill started his reign in style by notching up a century on his leadership debut. Slotting in at No. 4, the 25-year-old dished out an innings of the highest order, combining his natural flair with a solid judgement of where his off-stump was.
When there was the inevitable loose delivery on offer, Gill was ruthless and unfurled a rich array of strokes—both off the front and back foot.
Gill did slow down a bit while nearing his hundred, but he always looked in total control.
While getting to the milestone, he became the 33rd player overall to achieve this feat and the fifth from India to do so.
Incidentally, since Dilip Vengsarkar in 1987, only two Indians have managed this feat over the next 38 years. Virat Kohli entered the elite club after a 27-year gap, and now, Gill has followed the veteran's footsteps after 11 years.
Gill's innings consolidated India's position on the opening day of the first Test against England in Leeds, after Yashasvi Jaiswal's hundred had put the visitors on course earlier in the day. The left-hander put on a fluent 129-run stand with his captain to counter-punch the home side.
Having come to the crease after England's double-strike at the stroke of lunch, Gill seldom looked flustered, despite the occasion, and the buzz that England were generating after those two quick wickets.
He was tight in defence and most importantly, he left the ball well outside the off stump. There was a hint of movement available for the seamers, but England were guilty of being all over the place.
The lengths were either too full or too short, and Gill pounced on anything loose by dispatching them to the fence. Even the relatively experienced Chris Woakes was sent to the fence multiple times in an over.
As his innings went on, England tried to bounce Gill out, but the Indian captain handled the short stuff well, hardly appearing to be rushed by anything.
The flattening nature of the pitch helped his cause well, as the surface became easy-paced through the day. Headingley is a ground where batters usually get full value for their strokes, and Gill hit the gaps at will to churn out the boundaries. He was also an active partner during the partnership with Jaiswal, often chatting away at his partner and keeping him in check. There was, however, the odd moment of rashness in Jaiswal and he also had to endure an elbow injury later on.
However, Gill kept his partner at bay with constant chats, showcasing solid leadership skills.
It is too early to say how he will fare as captain but by producing an innings of such quality on captaincy debut, Gill has certainly made a statement that he will not back away from the challenge.
On a good batting surface, India will need him and the other remaining batters to cash in, to ensure that they bat England out of the game if possible.
