Mumbai: The second Test against England, which begins on July 2 at Edgbaston, is also an opportunity for Shubman Gill to etch his name in Indian cricket history by leading the side to India’s first-ever win in a Test match at the venue.
India, having lost the first Test by five wickets at Leeds, will aim to level the five-match series. Meanwhile, the host England, buoyant after the victory, will be eager to strengthen their hold on the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy. However, the focus will be on Gill, as he will have the opportunity to win a Test match at Edgbaston, a feat that has eluded Indian captains for 58 years.
At the Birmingham venue, India has appeared in eight Tests since 1967. Of the eight, they lost seven and none was a tie. Since the team has not won at Edgbaston since 1967, Gill has the opportunity to end that long wait. Under Kapil Dev, India’s best outcome at Edgbaston was a draw in the 1986 Test against England.
Gill shone in the first innings of the first Test by scoring a fantastic 147, and becoming the first Indian captain in 37 years to register a century in the first innings of a Test match while leading the side. The first Test also exposed India’s batting depth as the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant registered centuries. But defensive captaincy and six dropped catches cost India the match. The young skipper drew flak from experts like Sanjay Manjrekar, who advised the skipper to be positive and aggressive in his approach.
Former cricketer Ajinkya Rahane has also suggested Gill use all-rounder Shardul Thakur in a more attacking way after the latter was used sparingly in the first Test and bowled just 16 overs. Sanjay Manjrekar, on the other hand, feels that Gill should give a chance to spinner Kuldeep Yadav in England to strengthen the bowling attack.
England, which has started the ‘Bazball’ experiment under the leadership of Ben Stokes, will be a difficult team to play against in their home conditions. England is likely to be flexible with their playing XI, as the hosts have been in past Tests, making things slightly more difficult for the visitors. The pitch at Edgbaston is expected to facilitate swing bowling, and India, led by a debutant captain, will be eager to secure their first victory in Edgbaston.
If India does pull off the feat, it will be a watershed moment in the cricketing career of Gill. But for that to happen, Gill needs to learn from his mistakes and win the battle of the fine margins. He has Gautam Gambhir backing him in the thick and thin, and the cricketing world will be watching if Gill can turn around India’s fortunes and end India’s 58-year-long wait at Birmingham’s fortress.