There were few expectations of the Indian team when they left for a daunting Test tour of England earlier this year, especially once Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced their retirements from the format, and Jasprit Bumrah was advised to play only three of the five Tests. But a relatively inexperienced side, led by Shubman Gill, clinched famous victories at Edgbaston and The Oval to finish the series all square at 2-2.
For Gill, captaining the Test team for the first time, it was a series to remember, with 754 runs and four centuries. Of those, a whopping 430 runs came in Birmingham, including a monumental 269 in the first innings. India ended up winning by 336 runs, even with Bumrah, their bowling talisman, sitting out.
On an Apple Music podcast with Naina Sethi, Gill spoke of that Edgbaston triumph and the inspiration he had drawn from two separate quarters. On the eve of the Test, an English journalist had pointed out India’s dismal record at the venue – seven losses and a draw going back to 1967. After victory was clinched, Gill had shone the spotlight on why such statistics are often redundant.
“I can't see my favourite journalist,” he said at the press conference after the match. “Where is he? I wanted to see him. I even said before the Test match that I don't really believe in history and stats. Over the last 56 years or so, we've played nine matches. Different teams have come here. I believe we are the best team to have come here in England, and we have the capability to beat them, to win the series from here.”
Even if that didn’t happen, a back-to-the-wall draw in Manchester – another Gill century – and a Mohammed Siraj-inspired win at The Oval ensured a share of the spoils. As for Birmingham, the city already had a place in Gill’s heart because of an iconic show that he had become a fan of.
He told the podcast how he had first become familiar with the city while watching Peaky Blinders, the series starring Cillian Murphy that had a cult following and ran for six seasons and 36 episodes. Set in Birmingham between the two World Wars, it chronicled the exploits of a criminal gang.
Nothing Peaky Blinders did, however, compared to India’s Edgbaston heist, as Gill’s batting heroics were followed up by a Siraj six-for and a 10-wicket match haul for the unheralded Akash Deep.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
