Shubman Gill eyes Bradman's 94-year-old record ahead of The Oval Test

The stage is set for another thrilling Test of the ongoing five-match series between England and India. The fifth and final Test of the series is set to be played at the Oval with India trailing the series 1-2. It’s going to be a must-win for the India side to level the series 2-2. But it’s not just the series score that’s at stake as India skipper Shubman Gill is chasing cricketing immortality.

At 25, the young Indian captain enters the fifth Test with 722 runs in four Tests, and the cricket world is watching as he targets Sir Don Bradman’s legendary 974‑run series record from 1930. Gill’s journey in this series has been nothing short of cinematic. From a glittering 269 and rough‑and‑tumble 161 at Edgbaston, his twin knocks elevated India and rewrote records, earning plaudits across the globe. 

At Old Trafford, under intense pressure, he scored a composed 103, his fourth century of the series, to drag India to a crucial draw, equalling Bradman and Sunil Gavaskar as the only captains with four Test hundreds in a series. Gill is 253 runs away from breaking Brandman’s record, and it’s going to be super difficult to achieve the milestone. 

However, considering his recent form, it’s safe to say that there are high chances of him breaking that record. But more than thinking about his personal milestone, Gill must be focusing on winning the final Test as he wouldn’t want to lose his first Test series as the captain. And after the thrilling draw in the fourth Test, the Indian players are rolling high on confidence. 

But a few injuries in the Indian camp have been a concerning thing. Rishabh Pant is ruled out after a foot fracture, and Jasprit Bumrah’s availability is uncertain. It would be interesting to see how many changes India would make for the do-or-die fifth Test.