In just his first Test series as captain, Shubman Gill has reached a stage where every run he scores can elevate him to greatness. With 565 runs in just two Tests, including two centuries and a double-hundred, Gill has shattered plenty of records and eyes a plethora more, the holy grail being the late great Donald Bradman's humongous tally of 974 runs – the highest-ever in a series. Gill knocked off quite a few records during his marathon innings of 269 and 161 at Edgbaston, including most runs scored by any Indian in the first two Tests of a series and the highest individual Test score by an Indian captain, among many more. However, two more landmarks await: Sunil Gavaskar's 771 runs is the most scored by an Indian batter. And given the rich vein of form he is in, it is only a matter of time before he gets there, until something goes horribly wrong.
As for the big Bradman Everest, with 390 runs still needed, former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar believes it's too early to judge whether Gill will reach that milestone. While Vengsarkar, who knows a thing or two about scoring a Test century at Lord’s, has no doubt in Gill's ability – and he really hopes the skipper gets there – there's an iota of doubt in the mind of the Colonel.
"Well, he is in great form, and he is an outstanding batsman. I hope he does that. I don't know whether he will do it, but I am sure that he has an opportunity. He is in great form, and he should do it, that's what I feel. But then, what is important is not chasing a personal milestone. Because we are obsessed with personal milestones, which is wrong. The important point is to win matches for our country. That is what matters. And the impact of innings or a spell is what matters in the ultimate analysis," PTI reported Vengsarkar as saying.
{{/usCountry}}"Well, he is in great form, and he is an outstanding batsman. I hope he does that. I don't know whether he will do it, but I am sure that he has an opportunity. He is in great form, and he should do it, that's what I feel. But then, what is important is not chasing a personal milestone. Because we are obsessed with personal milestones, which is wrong. The important point is to win matches for our country. That is what matters. And the impact of innings or a spell is what matters in the ultimate analysis," PTI reported Vengsarkar as saying.
{{/usCountry}}"He did very well as a captain, as a batsman, it was very important that he scored runs so that he could call the shots and lead from the front, which is very important, and he has done that. He is an experienced player. He is a world-class batsman, and he showed that in England."
Sunil Gavaskar backs Shubman Gill
Unlike Vengsarkar, though, Gavaskar is confident in Gill's ability to at least break his record. It was during India's 1970/71 tour of the West Indies that Gavaskar, in his debut series, smacked the mighty West Indies around for 774 runs in four Tests. The Little Master, in fact, believes that the hallowed turf of the Lord's could very well be the venue where Gill becomes part of Indian more piece of Indian folklore.
"I think, at Lord's is where probably it will happen," Gavaskar told Sports Today. "And really a worthy contender because there is a purity of technique in his batting. He's got all the shots in the book. And more importantly, he has got this wonderful opportunity to shoulder the responsibility of playing the way that the team needs. So clearly, records are meant to be broken. I would be delighted that another SG takes that record."