"Probably opening was not his place in Test cricket" - Former India captain's huge statement on Shubman Gill after Day 2 of ENG vs IND 2025 2nd Test

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has made a massive statement about Shubman Gill following the latter’s majestic double century against England. The standout knock came on Day 2 (Thursday, July 3) of the second Test in the five-match series at Edgbaston, Birmingham.

While India piled up a commanding total of 587, the bulk of the runs came from skipper Shubman Gill, who delivered a brilliant 269 off 387 balls while batting at No. 4, studded with 30 fours and three sixes.

Reacting to the 25-year-old’s knock, former captain Sourav Ganguly hailed it as one of the finest he has witnessed in England across any era. He also suggested that Gill is better suited to the middle order in Tests than his previous role as an opener. Sharing his thoughts in a post on X, he wrote:

"An absolute master class from Gill @ShubmanGill .. just flawless .. one of the best innings I have seen in england in any era .. so much improvement in the last few months .. probably opening was not his place in test cricket .. A test to win for india ..@bcci.”

In response to India's massive total, England closed Day 2 at 77/3, with Joe Root unbeaten on 18 and Harry Brook on 30, aiming to steady the innings. For India, Akash Deep impressed with two wickets, while Mohammed Siraj chipped in with one.

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From opener to No. 4: Shubman Gill’s evolving Test career in numbers

With Virat Kohli stepping away from Test cricket, Shubman Gill has taken over the No. 4 role—and he’s made an immediate impact. In just three innings at the position, the young batter has amassed 424 runs at an extraordinary average of 141.33, including two commanding centuries.

However, Gill began his Test career as an opener, where he played 29 innings, scoring 874 runs at an average of 32.37, with four fifties and two hundreds. Before settling into the No. 4 role during the ongoing England series, he also had a stint at No. 3, where he accumulated 1,019 runs in 30 innings at an average of 37.34, including three fifties and three centuries.

Now into his 34th Test, the right-handed batter has amassed a total of 2,317 runs at an average of 40.64, with seven centuries and seven half-centuries to his name.