Gill joins legends with twin tons in England

India captain Shubman Gill etched his name into an elite chapter of cricket history by becoming just the ninth overseas captain to score centuries in both the first and second Tests of a series in England. 

Gill's unbeaten 114 on the opening day at Edgbaston on Wednesday followed his 147 in the first Test at Headingley, placing him alongside all-time greats such as Don Bradman, Garfield Sobers, and Mohammad Azharuddin.

Gill's innings formed the backbone of India's solid 310 for 5 at stumps on Day 1, with opener Yashasvi Jaiswal contributing a fluent 87. After a mid-innings wobble that saw India slip from 198-3 to 211-5, Ravindra Jadeja (41 not out) joined Gill in a resilient 99-run stand that ensured the visitors ended the day with momentum.

At just 25, and thrust into the captaincy after Rohit Sharma's shock retirement, Gill has been a standout presence — not only statistically but in leadership poise.

"I think he has been amazing the way he has been batting," said Jaiswal after stumps. "It's just incredible to see him bat and as a captain also, he has been amazing. I think he is very clear in his head about what he needs to do with the team, and we are very confident in what we are going to do."

Despite Gill's heroics, he remains mindful that personal milestones mean little without team success. India suffered a historic defeat in the first Test — becoming the first team in over 60,000 first-class games to lose despite five individual centuries — as England chased down 371 to go 1-0 up in the five-match series.

Still, Gill's twin tons mark a rare feat. The last time an overseas captain achieved this in England was in 2014 when Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews scored 102 and 160 at Lord's and Headingley. Before that, Graeme Smith's monster double of 277 and 259 in 2003 remains the benchmark for batting dominance.

1938: Don Bradman            (AUS)     144 no, 102 no,  Trent Bridge and Lord's
1947: Alan Melville          (RSA)     189, 117,        Trent Bridge and Lord's
1953: Lindsay Hassett        (AUS)     115, 104,        Trent Bridge and Lord's
1966: Garfield Sobers        (WIS)     161, 163 no,     Old Trafford and Lord's
1973: Bevan Congdon          (NZL)     176, 175,        Trent Bridge and Lord's
1990: Mohammad Azharuddin    (IND)     121, 179,        Lord's and Old Trafford
2003: Graeme Smith           (RSA)     277, 259,        Edgbaston and Lord's
2014: Angelo Matthews        (SRI)     102, 160,        Lord's and Headingley
2025: Shubman Gill           (IND)     147, 114 no,     Headingley and Edgbaston