Shubman Gill's Record-Breaking Performance Earns Praise from Coach Morne Morkel

Morne Morkel Commends Shubman Gill's Exceptional Leadership

In Birmingham, Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel expressed his admiration for captain Shubman Gill following a remarkable performance during the Test match against England. Morkel noted that Gill has managed the high expectations placed upon him with remarkable poise, labeling his contributions as "exceptional."

Gill's outstanding display included impressive innings of 269 and 161, making him the second player to achieve a total of 430 runs in a Test match, just shy of Graham Gooch's record of 456 runs against India at Lord's in 1990.

Additionally, he became only the second player to score over 150 runs in both innings of a Test, following Allan Border's feat against Pakistan in 1980. This match also marked the first time a player scored both a double century and a century in a single Test.

During the post-match press conference, Morkel shared his happiness for Gill, stating, "I'm very pleased for Shubman as captain on this significant tour in England. With large crowds and high expectations, he has managed it exceptionally well. He has shown great confidence in training and has connected well with the team. As a captain, it’s crucial to perform in the middle, and he has certainly delivered."

Gill's first innings of 269 came off 387 balls, featuring 30 fours and three sixes, while his second innings of 161 was achieved in just 162 balls, including 13 fours and eight sixes, showcasing his aggressive batting style.

He is now the second Indian, after Sunil Gavaskar, to score both a double century and a century in the same Test, having previously achieved scores of 124 and 220 against the West Indies in 1971. Other notable players who have accomplished this include Australia's KD Walters and Greg Chappell, West Indies' Brian Lara, and Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara.

Gill surpassed former captain Virat Kohli's record for the highest aggregate by an Indian captain in a Test match, with Kohli's previous record being 293 runs against Sri Lanka in December 2017.

He is also the second Asian player to accumulate over 350 runs in a Test outside the subcontinent, following Pakistan's Hanif Mohammad, who scored 354 runs in 1958.

Furthermore, Gill is the third Asian player to achieve a 300-plus run aggregate in a Test held in SENA countries, joining the ranks of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar.

Lastly, he is the third Indian captain to score over 100 runs in both innings of a Test, alongside Gavaskar and Kohli, and is the second player to hit three hundreds in his first two Tests as captain, following Kohli.