There are some grounds that simply bring out the best in cricketers. For Sachin Tendulkar, it was Sydney. For Virat Kohli, it could well be Adelaide. For Shubman Gill, it has to be Edgbaston. He walked out to bat as though he was simply resuming where he had left off in the red-ball game last year. A double-hundred and a hundred then, and now yet another match-winning innings to give India their first victory in a month. I had actually asked him about this in the pre-match press conference, and he admitted that he loves this ground because it evokes fond memories every time he walks out to bat.
After India lost Rohit Sharma to a poor shot and Virat Kohli to a peach from Jofra Archer, Gill needed to take charge and impose himself on the contest. Shreyas Iyer looked uncertain, Archer had his tail up, and England sensed an opening. But against Gill, no bowler stood much of a chance. The Indian captain was batting on a different plane, and as the innings wore on, he only grew more assured and more dominant. We can only hope that the injury that saw him hobble off after making a sparkling 80 is not a serious one.
Let me make a controversial statement here. Gill is pure class, and even in T20 cricket, especially in challenging conditions, you need someone like him who can adapt quickly. He is not a slam-bang batter, but India will need his quality going forward.
On this occasion, he allowed Shreyas the time to settle, and by the halfway stage England were effectively clinging on. Having gone in without a specialist pace attack, England missed Gus Atkinson, and once Archer and Josh Tongue had finished their spells, the pressure eased. Not that it would have made much difference had Gill stayed at the crease.
Mid-innings wobble aside, there were plenty of positives for India in this game. Jasprit Bumrah was outstanding, while both Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar showed real character. With the bat, it was the Gill show until Axar Patel and Washington Sundar finished things off with a gritty 102-run partnership. Axar gave a timely reminder of why he remains such a key competent of India’s white-ball sides with 4/62 and an unbeaten 52-ball 57.
For the crowd, it was one of those bittersweet days. They had come to watch Rohit and Kohli, but neither got going, which was a disappointment. Rohit looked scratchy and, just when it seemed he was settling into the conditions, he perished to a poor shot. The problem is that every failure now adds to the clamour. With Yashasvi Jaiswal waiting in the wings, questions will inevitably be asked about whether another failure could spell the end of Rohit’s place in the side.
For now, though, let us put that debate aside and simply celebrate Gill’s innings. England 2025 was the making of Shubman Gill, the Test captain. More than 700 runs in the series put every debate to rest. This series could well do the same for Gill, the white-ball leader. By the end of it, he may well have stamped his authority on this white-ball dressing room and begun creating the template that takes India to the 2027 World Cup. Even with Kohli and Rohit still around, this is now Gill’s team, and Edgbaston may have been the perfect trailer for what is to come over the next 14 months. India head to Cardiff 1-0 up and will hope to wrap up the series the day after tomorrow.
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