Shubman Gill set to break a record untouched for close to 90 years

Indian captain Shubman Gill has been in remarkable form in the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. In his first assignment as India’s Test captain, Gill has piled up 722 runs in a five-match series with one Test still left to be played. In four Tests, he has four centuries and a double century to his name. Heading into the fifth Test match, he is on the verge of breaking Don Bradman’s record, which has remained untouched for close to 90 years now. In the 1936-37 Ashes, Bradman scored 810 runs as the Australian captain - a record tally of runs which no other captain has been able to achieve thus far.  

Shubman Gill is now just 88 runs short of eclipsing Bradman’s tally of runs as the captain. Gill has four centuries in the series right now. One more century in the fifth Test will also help him become the first ever captain to hit five Test centuries in a single Test series. India last won a Test series in England in 2007 under the captaincy of Rahul Dravid. Shubman Gill and Co. might not win the series but they certainly make it 2-2 if they perform well at the Oval. 

'I want to be the best batter in the series': Shubman Gill

Ahead of the start of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Gill had said that he wanted to be the best batter in the series. 

 "When I want to go out there and bat, I want to play as a batter and not think about captaincy that can put pressure on me. I want to be the best batter in the series,” Gill said in the pre-match press conference on June 19.

The Indian captain has certainly lived up to his own expectations as he is currently sitting at the top of the run charts. In four Tests, he has over 700 runs at a staggering average of 90.25. His incredible batting display in the second Test was followed by three low scores - 16, 6, and 12. However, the skipper stood tall when his team was on the verge of losing the Test series. 

With a deficit of 311 runs in the fourth Test, India had lost two early wickets without a single run on the board in their second innings. Gill then joined hands with KL Rahul and the duo produced a sensational 174-run partnership and remained unbeaten before the umpires called stumps on day four. India went on to secure a draw, denying England the chance to win the series. A win at Oval for India will result in a 2-2 draw for the visitors.