Updated 4 July 2025 at 11:26 IST
IND vs ENG: Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar Shaded by Ex-England Player Michael Atherton After Shubman Gill Scores Double Ton
After India skipper Shubman Gill brought up his maiden Test double century vs England at Edgbaston, Michael Atherton remarked that he did something that neither Sachin Tendulkar nor Virat Kohli did.
Advertisement
Shubman Gill celebrates scoring his maiden Test double century at Edgbaston. | Image:
AP
India captain Shubman Gill was the undoubted star of the first innings of the 2nd India vs England Test match at Edgbaston, with the skipper scoring a memorable double ton - his first-ever in Test cricket - as India registered a mammoth 587 and left England at 77-3 at stumps on Day 2.
Gill's double century saw him break a number of records - this is the highest-ever score made by an Indian batter by Tests in England.
It was also the best score made by an Asian Test captain in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) nations.
However, it was a comment from former England international Michael Atherton that caught a lot of attention after he notched up this feat.
Atherton's Shade Towards Kohli and Tendulkar
Atherton, who was on commentary, said that while Gill was filling the big shoes of Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, he had just done something neither of the former India greats managed to acccomplish.
"And Shubman Gill at No.4 is filling in the big shoes - Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar's slots, but neither of those two has made a double century in England," Atherton said in the commentary box.
His remarks understandably drew mixed reactions, but it was factually correct - Tendulkar's highest score in Tests in England is 193 at Headingley, while Kohli's is 149 which also came at Edgbaston.
Is The Comparison a Fair One?
However, it also worth asking if the comparison, correct as it is, deserves a more contextual outlook.
The advent of ‘Bazball’ under head coach Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes has seen pitches in England become harder and flatter, which has made them comparatively easier to bat on.
In the time of Tendulkar and even Kohli, English pitches were usually much tougher to bat on during the first 2-3 days, with batting becoming easier only as the pitch wore out.
In comparison, conditions in England this time look markedly different - as evidenced by both teams scoring above 450 in the first Test at Headingley too.
Published 4 July 2025 at 11:26 IST