IND vs AFG One-Off Test: Indian cricket has its young red-ball leader back in Shubman Gill, who returns to Test cricket in the historic one-off Test against Afghanistan starting June 6. All eyes will be on Gill when he plays at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, which is hosting its first Test. Not only is he returning from a frustrating injury lay-off, but he is also standing on the brink of a major captaincy milestone.
Gill’s sudden departure from the longer format followed a painful neck injury he suffered during India’s first innings against South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The skipper had to trudge off after spending just three balls at the crease. He could not bat in the second innings and also missed the next Test match in Guwahati where Rishabh Pant was stand-in captain. After rediscovering his feet in the subsequent ODI series against the Proteas and a stellar IPL campaign, Gill is fit again and ready to regain his command in white flannels.
This match is a legacy-defining moment for the young skipper, beyond the tactical plotting against a rising Afghanistan unit. Gill joins the legendary Sachin Tendulkar in an elite bracket of Indian red-ball captains with four Test victories to his name. The difference in efficiency is stark, with the Master Blaster taking 25 Tests to get his four wins while Gill has matched that tally in just eight matches. If India beats Afghanistan, Gill will officially go past Tendulkar to earn his fifth Test win as captain.
Gill makes his first steps towards building a legacy of leadership, but is a long way from the top of the mountain. Virat Kohli is the most successful Test captain for India with a staggering 40 wins from 68 matches with an unbeaten home series record and a historic breakthrough series win in Australia in the 2018-19 edition.
MS Dhoni is a close second with 27 wins in 60 Tests while Sourav Ganguly is third with 21 wins from 49 games. The immediate goal over the next five days is to walk past Tendulkar’s captaincy footprint. Matching Kohli’s towering mountain of wins will take years of sustained excellence and longevity. The “Prince” of Indian cricket is ready to rewrite the history books with the local support rallying behind him in New Chandigarh.
Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.
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