On Sunday, Indian captain Shubman Gill made history by becoming the country’s fourth-youngest batsman to reach 3,000 runs in Test cricket. The right-hander reached the milestone on the first day of the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club pitch in Colombo, needing only seven runs at the start.
Gill had come agonisingly short in the first Test in Galle, leaving those seven runs unfinished as he headed to Colombo. He didn’t take long to resolve things. His first scoring shot of the innings was a whip off left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, and the milestone came in the 23rd over with a thick outside edge off seamer Keshara Nuwantha that flew away to the fence.
Gill, at 26 years and 349 days, is now fourth among the youngest Indians to attain this milestone in Test cricket, just ahead of former India captain Kapil Dev. Kapil had reached 3,000 Test runs at the age of 26 years and 356 days, therefore Gill beat him by just seven days.
Where does Shubman Gill rank among India’s youngest players with 3,000 Test runs?
The list of Indians who have scored 3,000 Test runs before the age of 27 is short and distinguished. Sachin Tendulkar leads by a significant margin, having accomplished the feat at the age of 23 years and 228 days. Virender Sehwag comes in second, having reached the milestone in 26 years and 157 days, while Dilip Vengsarkar took 26 years and 263 days.
Shubman Gill entry at 26 years and 349 days places him fifth on this list overall, with Kapil Dev now one spot lower at 26 years and 356 days. The more than three-year gap between Gill and Tendulkar at the top highlights Tendulkar’s remarkable early career production. The fact that Gill has joined this group at all puts him in truly uncommon company among Indian Test hitters.
How did Shubman Gill reach this milestone throughout the Sri Lanka series?
Shubman Gill journey to 3,000 Test runs across a two-match series in Sri Lanka demonstrated both his consistency and the tiny margins involved at this level. He got within seven runs of the record at Galle but was unable to close it out, leaving the task to Colombo.
When the second Test began, Gill breezed through the remaining few runs. The edge off Nuwantha that completed the milestone was not a commanding stroke, but it was adequate, reflecting Shubman Gill methodical approach at the start of his innings on a surface that required patience. The Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo is now synonymous with this period of his Test career, where he joined four of Indian cricket’s most famed batters in a group that few have ever joined.
