"Reminded me of the previous Indian number four" - Former England batter's massive praise for Shubman Gill after Day 4 of ENG vs IND 2025 2nd Test

Former England batter Jonathan Trott has showered praise on Indian captain Shubman Gill for his phenomenal performance in the ongoing second Test of the five-match series against England at Edgbaston. After a majestic 269 off 387 balls in the first innings, Gill followed it up with a blistering 161 off just 162 deliveries in the second, helping India set a mammoth target of 608 runs for the hosts.

With this remarkable feat, the 25-year-old became the first cricketer in Test history to score both a double century (250+) and a 150 in the same match. Reacting to Gill’s record-breaking heroics on ‘Match Centre Live’, JioHotstar expert Jonathan Trott noted that the innings reminded him of India’s former No. 4 — a nod to Virat Kohli — and remarked:

“I honestly feel privileged to be here and witness that innings. I can’t recall him giving the English bowlers even a single chance. The way he shifted gears — hitting sixes at will — without slogging, just pure cricket shots, was something special.”

“Today, he showed how complete a batter he is. It reminded me of the previous Indian number four — almost a carbon copy of that genius. I don’t think he could’ve dreamed of a better start to his first two Tests on this tour. Sure, he’d have liked to win at Headingley, but now he’s hopefully set up a fantastic victory here tomorrow,” he added [as quoted by Deccan Chronicle].

At the close of play on Day 4, England were 72/3 after 16 overs in pursuit of a massive 608-run target, with Ollie Pope (24) and Harry Brook (15) at the crease. For India, Akash Deep struck twice, while Mohammed Siraj picked up one wicket.

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Records tumble as Shubman Gill shines on Day 4 at Edgbaston

India declared their second innings at 427/6 after 83 overs, with captain Shubman Gill once again stealing the spotlight. Batting at No. 4, Gill hammered a breathtaking 161 off 162 balls, laced with 13 fours and 8 sixes.

In doing so, he shattered multiple records — surpassing Virat Kohli’s 449-run haul from the 2014–15 Australia tour to register the most runs by an Indian captain in a debut Test series, with a staggering 585 runs to his name.

Gill also became only the second Indian, after Sunil Gavaskar, to score a double century and a hundred in the same Test match. With twin tons in the game, he joined an exclusive club, becoming just the third Indian captain — after Gavaskar and Kohli — to achieve the feat. Additionally, his match total of 430 runs is now the highest ever by an Indian in a single Test and the second-highest in the format’s history, trailing only Graham Gooch’s 456.