Dinesh Karthik Calls Gill’s Double Century Historic, But Nasser Hussain Fires Back: “He Was Lucky—Not in Yousuf’s League”
Shubman Gill’s monumental 269* against England at Edgbaston has sparked a fierce debate between cricket pundits Dinesh Karthik and Nasser Hussain, with praise and criticism pouring in from both sides.
On Day 2 of the second Test between India and England, Gill batted with remarkable patience and skill, becoming the highest-scoring Indian batter in England and registering the highest score ever by an Indian Test captain. His double ton powered India to 587 in the first innings, putting Rohit Sharma’s men in complete control.
Former Indian wicketkeeper and commentator Dinesh Karthik was quick to hail the innings, saying:
“This is not just one of the best knocks in Asia, but globally. Gill destroyed England in their own conditions. It’s a historic effort.”
However, former England captain Nasser Hussain, known for his candid takes and tactical analysis, was less impressed.
In a fiery post-match discussion, Hussain said:
“Shubman Gill was lucky to face one of the weakest England bowling attacks in recent memory. I admit he’s a talented batter, but let’s not ignore the fact that he was dropped twice, and the fielding was average at best. Given those conditions, a double century was always on the cards.”
He added a historical comparison that raised eyebrows:
“If we’re talking about class and true challenge, I still rate Mohammad Yousuf’s double hundred in England as the finest by an Asian batter. That was against a full-strength English bowling attack with James Anderson and Stuart Broad in their prime. Gill had no such challenge today.”
Hussain’s remarks come after England’s bowling unit—missing Jofra Archer and fielding inexperienced names like Shoaib Bashir and Josh Tongue—struggled to create pressure. Only Joe Root managed a wicket in the second session, removing Washington Sundar for 42.
While India sits comfortably with a huge first-innings total, and England reeling at 77 for 3 at stumps, the off-field verbal battle continues to heat up as former cricketers weigh in.
The debate over "conditions vs class" is likely to continue, but one thing is certain—Shubman Gill’s innings has already carved a place in the record books, regardless of where opinions land.
