In time to come, this Edgbaston epic will be immortalised as Gill’s Test. India’s young captain — in age and in leadership experience — hardly put a foot wrong, everything he touched turning to gold as he orchestrated a famous, famous win.

India had dominated four of the five days in Leeds, but it was England who prised the door open with a powerhouse batting performance on Day Five to conjure a five-wicket triumph. Gill was livid with himself, for throwing his hand away despite making a career-best 147 in the first innings. He made a vow: 
‘No more loose strokes, no more squandering the advantage away’.

Playing XI under scrutiny

It’s one thing to say so, quite another to walk the talk, particularly given the immense scrutiny of the XI he chose to put out in the second Test, his side 0-1 down in the five-match showdown. Popular opinion cried out for the inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav’s wrist-spin in the absence of the rested Jasprit Bumrah, but Gill placed his eggs in the batting depth basket, plumping for Washington Sundar instead of Sai Sudharsan, the left-handed batter who debuted in the opening encounter. It was seen as a defensive, self-defeating move, but Washington aced the test, helping his skipper add 144 in the first innings and then accounting for Ben Stokes at a crucial stage in the second when time seemed to be India’s greatest bugbear.