Mark Butcher: Shubman Gill Should Have Lost Captaincy After Edgbaston Test

Team India’s Test captain Shubman Gill has been in great form during the ongoing series against England, scoring two centuries and a double century. At Edgbaston, he smashed a double hundred in the first innings followed by a century in the second. Despite this impressive performance, former England cricketer Mark Butcher made a bold statement about Gill’s captaincy. Butcher said that if Gill had made a particular decision during the Edgbaston Test, that match would have marked the end of his captaincy career. Here’s why.

What If Gill Had Made That Decision?
Mark Butcher said during the Edgbaston Test that if Shubman Gill had won the toss and chosen to field first, it would have been his last match as captain. Ravi Shastri, commentating during the match, explained that England would have opted to bowl first if Gill had chosen to field, which Gill had indicated he wanted to do after losing the toss. Butcher added that such a decision would have led to Gill being removed as captain.

Gill’s Batting and Captaincy Won Hearts
After India’s defeat in the Leeds Test, there was intense pressure on Gill to lead a strong comeback. Edgbaston had been a venue where India had never won a Test before, making the challenge even greater. However, Gill’s captaincy and batting made the impossible possible.

After losing the toss in Birmingham, India batted first and posted a massive total of 587 runs. Yashasvi Jaiswal gave a solid start with 87 runs, and Ravindra Jadeja scored 89. But the star was captain Gill, who smashed a record-breaking 269 runs. England replied with 407 runs, with Mohammed Siraj taking six wickets and Akash Deep four.

In the second innings, India declared at 427 runs, with Gill scoring another 161 runs. Contributions from Rahul (55), Pant (65), and Jadeja (69) helped set England a daunting target of 608 runs. England collapsed for 271 in their chase, with Akash Deep taking six wickets. India won the match by a huge margin of 336 runs.