Shubman Gill played the defining innings of his career, scoring a century on the final day of the fourth Test. He came out to bat after India lost both openers in the first over. The match, and potentially the series, was slipping away.

Gill’s captaincy has been under intense scrutiny. But he responded in the best possible way. The 25-year-old reached his century in the first session. There was no celebration as he knew there was still work to be done.

This century was Gill’s fourth of the series, making him only the third Indian to achieve this feat in a Test series, after Sunil Gavaskar (1971, 1978) and Virat Kohli (2014-15). More importantly, he equalled Don Bradman’s long-standing record for the most centuries by a captain in a Test series in England. Bradman had scored four during the 1938 Ashes.

Gill made history as the first-ever batter to score four centuries in his debut Test series as captain, a milestone that even Virat Kohli was unable to reach. In contrast, five other legendary captains Warwick Armstrong, Don Bradman, Greg Chappell, Virat Kohli, and Steven Smith each managed three centuries in their debut series as captain.

Most Centuries by an Indian in a Test Series

4 – Sunil Gavaskar vs WI in 1971 (Away)

4 – Sunil Gavaskar vs WI in 1978/79 (Home)

4 – Virat Kohli vs AUS in 2014/15 (Away)

4 – Shubman Gill vs ENG in 2025 (Away)

He also became only the third Indian batter to surpass 700 runs in a Test series, surpassing Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 712 against England at home in 2024. Only Gavaskar, who amassed 774 during the iconic 1971 tour of the West Indies, remains ahead of him.

He was dismissed for 103 runs off 238 balls.

Despite a finger injury, Gill remained calm and composed, balancing both captaincy and batting duties effectively.

India’s hopes of saving the match, and possibly the series, rested on him. Regardless of the outcome, this century may define his captaincy.