Shubman Gill repeated history as he emulated Virat Kohli |courtesy - BCCI/AP/PTI
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Shubman Gill emulated Virat Kohli
- Gill is India's new Test captain
- Gill batted at number four for the first time
In India's first match post the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in Test cricket, Shubman Gill was tasked with a huge task as not only did they not face a tough task facing England in the first match of a massive five-match Test series but also the 25-year-old was in a way replacing both legends.
After being named captain, Gill replaced Rohit in the top job. However, the right-handed batter also took the bold call of changing his batting position and taking up the number four position, which had been occupied by Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli for the last 33 years.
History Repeats Itself
Almost poetically, Gill ensured that Indian cricket's lineage continues while emulating what Kohli did 12 years ago. It was in Johannesburg in 2013 at the Wanderers Stadium that the former captain walked out to bat at number four in Test cricket after Sachin's retirement.
Kohli made the occasion a memorable one and hit a century against South Africa with a knock of 119 in the first innings and 96 in the second. Gill matched Kohli's feet and in his first outing at the position scored a ton and is unbeaten at 127 at the ned of play on Day 1.
Moreover, Sachin had also scored a ton in only his second innings at number four against Australia at WACA in 1992. This was also the first instance of the world's most capped Test cricket batting at number four in the first innings of a match as the first time he was sent at the position was in the fourth innings (India's second innings) at Adelaide in the same series, a week before after playing at number six
Quite incredible, Kohli had also scored a century in his first innings as India's Test captain. Two games before taking over the full job from MS Dhoni, the 26-year-old at that time led the team against Australia in Adelaide with the regular skipper injured. Kohli scored a knock of 115 in the first innings and another century of 141.
Gill joins Kohli as only the fifth Indian captain to score a century on captaincy debut. The duo are the only Indian to achieve the feat in the 21st century.
Kohli also scored a century in his first innings as full-time captain after Dhoni's retirement from Test cricket in Sydney 2015 against Australia.
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