Daijiworld Media Network – Manchester
Manchester, Jul 21: India skipper Shubman Gill is on the cusp of breaking a long-standing record as his team prepares to face England in the crucial fourth Test at Old Trafford on Wednesday, July 23.
The 24-year-old batting sensation has amassed 607 runs in just three matches during the ongoing series, including a mammoth 430-run haul in the second Test at Birmingham, where India triumphed by 336 runs. With an astonishing average of 101.16 and a highest score of 269 at Edgbaston, Gill now needs just 25 runs to surpass former Pakistan star Mohammed Yousuf's 19-year-old record of 631 runs—the most by an Asian batter in a Test series in England.
Yousuf set the benchmark during Pakistan’s 2006 tour of England, averaging 90.14 with a top score of 202 across four matches. Close behind are India’s Rahul Dravid (602 runs in 2002), Virat Kohli (593 in 2018), and Sunil Gavaskar (542 in 1979), highlighting Gill’s feat as one of the finest overseas performances by an Indian in recent times.
Despite his heroics, Gill faced criticism following India’s narrow 22-run defeat at Lord’s in the third Test. With England leading the five-match series 2-1, Team India will be eyeing a turnaround and hoping to script history by securing their first-ever win at Old Trafford.
All eyes will be on Gill as he takes the crease in Manchester, with both a personal milestone and a national resurgence at stake.