The Prague Post - Run-hungry Gill glad to 'lead by example' as India level England series

Gill, for all he has long been regarded as an exceptional talent, arrived in England with a modest Test batting average of under 36.

There were also doubts about how Gill would impose his authority after being thrust into the captaincy following Rohit Sharma's retirement from Test cricket in May.

And the new skipper also had to occupy the number four position of childhood hero Virat Kohli after he too called time on his Test career.

Yet at Edgbaston Gill became the first batsman in Test history to score 250 and 150 in the same match thanks to superb innings of 269 and 161 as India thrashed England by 336 runs.

Victory, the first by an India side in their nine Tests at Edgbaston, levelled the five-match series at 1-1 heading into next week's encounter with England at Lord's.

Gill's extraordinary exploits at Edgbaston were not even his first hundreds of this series as they followed his 147 in his debut as India captain, a five-wicket loss in the first Test at Headingley.

Only England's Alastair Cook, with five centuries, has scored more hundreds in each of their first two or more Test as captain.

But Gill's already huge tally of 585 runs in this series at a colossal average of 146.25 has left the 25-year-old eyeing one of cricket's most formidable records.

Long considered unbreakable, Australia great Don Bradman's 90-year-old mark of 974 runs in a series, the most scored by any batsman in a single Test campaign, could now be within Gill's sights.

"Especially when you are the captain, I think you need to lead by example, so whenever there is another player in that situation, you can tell that player, this is what the team requires right now," Gill told reporters after India won before tea on Sunday's final day at Edgbaston.

"That's what I wanted to do in this match. If a good ball gets me out, it gets me out. But as long as I am there, I want to play as long as possible," he added.

- 'Deep's heart and skill' -

India's first win in their nine Tests at Edgbaston also owed much to a superb display by Akash Deep.

Given the daunting task of replacing spearhead quick Jasprit Bumrah, rested at Edgbaston, he responded with a career-best match return of 10-147.

The 28-year-old's haul included a second innings figures of 6-99 as England, set what would have been a new Test record chase of 608, were dismissed for just 271.

"He bowled with so much heart and skilfully with his lengths," said Gill. "He moved it in both directions, which was tough to do. He was magnificent for us."

England fast-bowling great Stuart Broad, who took 604 Test wickets in an outstanding career, was impressed by Deep's accuracy on a flat pitch.

"He brings the stumps into play, nips the ball -- even with the second new ball with Harry Brook (in the first innings) - through the gate and off stump out of the ground," Broad told Sky Sports. "He's a real threat."

Gill confirmed that the gifted Bumrah, the world's top-ranked Test bowler, would return at Lord's where he will now surely be joined in India's pace attack by Deep, with Prasidh Krishna likely to drop out.

"Everyone dreams about playing there (Lord's)," said Gill. "And there is no bigger honour than captaining and leading your country there."

G.Turek--TPP