The Indian captain has delivered his fourth century in the ongoing Test series against England.
After reaching the 90s, Shubman Gill suddenly became ultra-cautious. He took his time, steadied himself, and finally roared past the three-figure mark — continuing his incredible form. With that knock, he etched his name next to the legendary Sir Don Bradman in the record books.
After a disappointing first innings in the Old Trafford Test, Gill bounced back in the second with a stellar display in a battle to save the match. On the final day of the Test, he moved from 90 off 192 balls to his hundred off 228 deliveries.
This was Gill’s fourth century in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy — the most by any batter in a single series on English soil. Only one player in history has scored as many centuries in a series in England: none other than Australian great Don Bradman, often considered the greatest batsman of all time.
Back in the 1930 Ashes, Bradman scored 974 runs across 7 innings, racking up four centuries in the process — a record still untouched.
Gill crosses 700 runs, climbs to new heights
Only one other player — West Indies’ George Headley — has scored four centuries in a Test series against England. He achieved the feat at home in the 1929-30 season over the course of eight innings.
Among Indian players, Gill has now surpassed Mohammad Azharuddin and Rahul Dravid, both of whom had three centuries in a single series against England. With this latest ton, the record now solely belongs to Gill.
Across all opponents, Gill becomes only the third Indian cricketer to score four centuries in a single Test series. Sunil Gavaskar achieved it twice against the West Indies, while Virat Kohli managed it once against Australia.
When it comes to Test captains, only Bradman and Gavaskar had previously scored four centuries in a series. However, Gill stands alone as the first player in history to do it in his debut series as captain.
Gill began the final day of the Manchester Test needing just 22 runs to complete his ninth career century in Tests. Resuming unbeaten on 78, he played with calculated caution and brought up the milestone late in the morning session.
But his stay didn’t last much longer. He was eventually dismissed for 103, caught behind off a delivery from Jofra Archer. Gill’s patient knock came off 238 balls, including 12 boundaries, and lasted 379 minutes at the crease.
This tour marked the start of Gill’s journey as India’s new Test captain, following the retirement of Rohit Sharma. He made a strong statement right from the start, scoring 147 in the first innings of the Headingley Test — his debut as skipper.
He then lit up Edgbaston in the second Test, blasting 269 in the first innings and 161 in the second. That made him the first player in 148 years of Test history to score both a double century and a 150-plus in the same match.
Though he failed to make an impact at Lord’s in between, he bounced back once again at Old Trafford — proving he’s not just leading the team, but leading by example.
