Shubman Gill clinches first Test series as India captain: ‘Kind of getting used to it’ | Cricket News
India secured a commanding seven-wicket victory over the West Indies in the second Test at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday, completing a 2-0 series sweep. KL Rahul‘s unbeaten 58 guided India to their target of 121 runs on day five, as the hosts continued their strong performance under new captain Shubman Gill.India resumed their chase at 63/1 on the final day, with West Indies captain Roston Chase claiming two wickets, dismissing Sai Sudharsan for 39 and Gill for 13. Rahul sealed the win with a boundary.
Kuldeep Yadav emerged as India’s standout bowler with eight wickets in the match, including a five-wicket haul in the first innings. He finished the series with 12 wickets, while Mohammed Siraj took 10 wickets to become India’s leading wicket-taker this year with 37 wickets in eight matches.The victory marked another successful outing for India’s transitioning team under 26-year-old Gill, following the retirements of veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. India had previously won the first Test by an innings and 140 runs.WATCH: Shubman Gill lifts his first Test series win trophyAs Gill won his first Test series as captain, he said, “It’s a big honour. It’s a really big honour I’m kind of getting used to it. Managing all the players, leading this team is a great honour. It’s about taking the right options in the given situation. I try to make the most probable decision in the given situation that we are in that game. And sometimes you have to take a bold decision, depending on which player can get you certain runs or can get you those wickets.“India’s batting dominance was evident in their first innings total of 518-5 declared, featuring Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 175 and Gill’s unbeaten 129. The West Indies, missing injured pace bowlers Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph, struggled to contain India’s batters.The West Indies showed resilience in their second innings after being forced to follow on. John Campbell and Shai Hope’s partnership of 177 runs, with scores of 115 and 103 respectively, provided resistance on the slow pitch.“We were around 300 runs ahead. We thought even if we scored like 500 runs and we have to get 6 or 7 wickets on day 5, it could be a tough day for us. So, that was the thought process,” said Gill on the decision to enforce the follow-on.The visitors’ fighting spirit was further displayed through Justin Greaves and Jayden Seales, who frustrated India with a 79-run partnership for the final wicket. Greaves remained unbeaten on 50 while Seales contributed 32, taking the match into the final day.The West Indies’ first innings ended at 248, trailing India’s total by 270 runs. Despite the eventual loss, their improved batting performance in the second innings showed promise for a team working to reclaim their former glory.This defeat marked the West Indies’ second consecutive Test series whitewash, following their 3-0 loss to Australia at home.
