Shubman Gill replicates Sunil Gavaskar’s 47-year-old record by scoring a half-century in his debut innings as Test captain at home during India vs West Indies 2025.

In a landmark moment at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Shubman Gill marked his debut as India’s Test captain at home with a confident half-century against the West Indies, replicating a historic feat last achieved by the legendary Sunil Gavaskar nearly five decades ago.

Shubman Gill Scores Fifty on Captaincy Debut at Home

In the first Test of the two-match series, the young Indian skipper displayed composure and class as he brought up the ninth Test half-century of his career. His innings came at a crucial time, helping India build a strong first-innings lead alongside KL Rahul, who scored a brilliant century.

Though Gill was dismissed shortly after reaching fifty, his knock carried historical significance. He became the first Indian captain in 47 years to score a half-century in his debut innings as Test captain on home soil, a milestone last achieved by Sunil Gavaskar in 1978.

Sunil Gavaskar’s 1978 Feat Finally Matched

Back in 1978, Gavaskar had scored a mammoth 205 against the West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium in his first innings as captain at home. Since then, no other Indian captain had managed to reach the 50-run mark in similar circumstances — until now.

Gill’s composed innings at Ahmedabad not only ended the long-standing drought but also showcased his readiness to shoulder leadership responsibilities in the longest format.

Favourite Venue, Mixed Emotions

Interestingly, the Narendra Modi Stadium has been a happy hunting ground for Gill in the past, and he once again looked fluent. However, his promising innings came to an abrupt end at the hands of Roston Chase. Attempting a reverse sweep, the Indian skipper was caught in the slips — a soft dismissal that denied him a bigger score on a historic day.

Gill Misses Out on Major WTC Milestone

In addition to replicating Gavaskar’s feat, Shubman Gill was also within touching distance of another significant record. Had he scored 85 runs, Gill would have surpassed Rishabh Pant to become India’s highest run-scorer in the World Test Championship (WTC).

Unfortunately, Gill fell short by 35 runs and remains third on the list with 2697 runs, trailing behind:

India in Command Against West Indies

India continued to dominate the Test match with a strong performance in the first innings. KL Rahul’s century and solid partnerships throughout the order put the hosts in a commanding position. Gill’s leadership has been impressive in his debut as captain, both tactically and with the bat.