NEW DELHI: Shubman Gill couldn’t have scripted a better beginning to his tenure as India’s Test captain. On Day 1 of the first Test against England at Headingley, the 25-year-old marked his leadership debut in style, slamming a composed and confident hundred to become only the fourth Indian to score a century in his first innings as Test skipper.
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India vs England, 1st Test Day 1Gill joined the elite list of Vijay Hazare (164* vs England, 1951), Sunil Gavaskar (116 vs New Zealand, 1976), and Virat Kohli (115 vs Australia, 2014), cementing his place in India’s captaincy folklore. He is also the 23rd batter overall in Test history to register a century on captaincy debut.
It was his sixth hundred overall and third against England in his 33rd Test matches.
Walking in at a delicate juncture after the dismissal of KL Rahul (42), Gill steadied the innings with fellow young gun Yashasvi Jaiswal, forging a vital 129-run partnership. While Jaiswal played with his usual flair en route to a 101, Gill was the picture of poise, blending discipline with elegance as he reached his century in 140 balls, laced with 14 boundaries.
He brought up his fastest Test fifty off just 56 balls, highlighting an intent to keep the scoreboard moving. His innings was dotted with trademark drives and confident footwork against both pace and spin. The milestone fifty came with a commanding stroke through covers off Josh Tongue — a fitting symbol of his authority on the day.
At 25 years and 285 days, Gill also became the youngest Indian to score a fifty on Test captaincy debut, and only the ninth overall from India to do so.
Leading a team in transition after the retirements of stalwarts like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and R. Ashwin, Gill’s debut knock as captain signals a new chapter for Indian cricket - one built on composure, clarity, and class.
Earlier, England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to bowl under clear skies. India handed out a debut to left-hander Sai Sudharsan at No. 3 and recalled Karun Nair after eight years.
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