"Have to drag this Indian Test team forward like Virat did single-handedly" - Michael Vaughan's stunning statement during ENG vs IND 2025 2nd Test

Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Rishabh Pant will have to combine and do what Virat Kohli did single-handedly in taking the Indian Test team forward. Vaughan's statement came after Team India dominated the opening two days of the second Test against England at Edgbaston.

The visitors lost the opening match at Leeds despite excellent batting performances in both innings. Meanwhile, Kohli recently retired from Test cricket after a torrid tour of Australia at the end of last year.

The champion batter finished with 9,230 runs in 123 Tests at an average of almost 47, including 30 centuries.

Talking about the future of the Indian Test side in an interview with the PTI, Vaughan said (via Economic Times):

"They (Gill, Jaiswal and Pant) now have to drag this Indian Test team forward like Virat did single-handedly. There's a group of them that I see that play the game the right way. They've got a great chance of leaving a legacy in a few years' time of doing what Virat Kohli did to the Indian Test team."

He added:

"If they can be anywhere near as close as what he brought to the Test match team, the energy and the number-one status for such a long period of time, they'll have done a decent job. I wouldn't be worried about a Test team if I was India. You're always going to produce a very competitive team...I'd want my Test team to be more consistent if I was India."

The batting trio mentioned by Vaughan has made an excellent start to the England tour. While Pant scored centuries in both innings of the first Test at Leeds, Gill and Jaiswal scored tons in the first innings.

Skipper Gill has continued his majestic form in the ongoing second Test at Edgbaston, scoring a record-breaking 269 in India's first innings. Jaiswal also impressed with a stroke-filled 87 off 107 deliveries.

"He just brought that buzz and that intensity that you require" - Michael Vaughan on Virat Kohli as captain

Michael Vaughan hailed Virat Kohli for his intensity as the Indian captain in Tests and urged Shubman Gill to follow suit. The latter has made a sensational start to his Test captaincy stint, scoring centuries in his first two matches at the helm.

Meanwhile, Kohli is India's most successful Test captain with 40 wins in 68 games.

"Shubman's made an incredible start as a captain and as a player. He's a wonderful player. In terms of batting, I don't think the team will struggle too much. It's that competitive energy that Virat brought to the Test team. He just brought that buzz and that intensity that you require. Tactically, he was very good as well. That'll be something that Shubman can get better at over the years as captain," said Vaughan (via the aforementioned source).

Team India are in a dominant position in the ongoing Edgbaston Test, amassing 587 in their first innings and reducing England to 77/3 after two days.