Only Don Bradman ahead: Shubman Gill enters the elite list of Test captains with another century

India captain Shubman Gill (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia) Shubman Gill is enjoying the best phase of his Test career since taking over the captaincy of the Indian team. The right-hander has turned into a scoring machine in red-ball cricket, leading from the front with one remarkable performance after another.Gill’s last century against Afghanistan further enhanced his incredible record as a Test captain. The Indian skipper now has 1,076 runs as captain in just 15 innings at a staggering average of 82.76, a figure that ranks him among the all-time leading scorers in the history of the format.After replacing Rohit Sharma as India’s 37th Test captain, Gill began his captaincy in a dream role. He became only the 11th Indian captain to score 1,000 Test runs, reaching the milestone in just 15 innings, the second fastest among Indian captains behind Sunil Gavaskar who achieved it in 14 innings. Gill also became the fastest Indian captain by time, needing just 351 days to cross the 1000-run mark.The defining moment of his captaincy so far came during India’s demanding five-Test tour of England. Leading in his first assignment, Gill amassed a phenomenal 754 runs in the entire series as India fought back to secure a 2-2 draw. He also etched his name in the history books by becoming the first Indian captain to win a Test match at Edgbaston.His prolific run has now elevated him to elite company. Among captains with at least 1,000 Test runs, Gill currently holds the second highest batting average in Test history, behind only the legendary Don Bradman.Player AverageDon Bradman101.5Shubman Gill82.8Kumar Sangakkara69.6Steven Smith68.1Mahela Jayawardene59.1

India vs Afghanistan: First Innings Summary

Gill’s remarkable form continued in the one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh, where he again led from the front with a captain’s knock. India declared their first innings at an impressive 564/8 in 127 overs during the second half of Day 2 after dominant batting.The best artistsShubman Gill (c): 126 (177 balls, 15 fours, 1 six)KL Rahul: 100 (165 balls, 11 fours)Sai Sudharsan: 81 (104 balls, 13 fours)Rishabh Pant: 81 (121 balls, 6 fours, 3 sixes)Washington Sundar: 52 (62 balls, 6 fours)*

Has Shubman Gill proved himself as a successful Test captain for India?