Shubman Gill Wins First-Ever Toss as Test Captain; Bumrah, Gambhir Burst Into Laughter
India captain Shubman Gill ended his streak of bad luck at the toss by winning one for the first time in his Test captaincy career. The memorable moment came during the second Test against West Indies in New Delhi, where Gill called it right after six consecutive losses since taking over as captain on the England tour.
Also Read: IND vs SA, Women's World Cup 2025: Rain disrupts India-South Africa match, toss delayed
Bumrah and Gambhir in Splits
As soon as the coin landed in Gill’s favor, the Indian dressing room erupted in laughter. Jasprit Bumrah and Gautam Gambhir were seen sharing a hearty laugh, teasing the skipper for finally turning his luck around. The light-hearted moment quickly went viral, with fans loving the camaraderie within Team India.
India Stick With Winning XI
India decided to field the same playing XI that crushed the West Indies by an innings and 140 runs in the first Test at Ahmedabad. Gill announced that India would bat first, aiming to post a big total on what he described as a batting-friendly surface.
Gill on Leadership and Responsibility
Speaking at the toss, Gill said, “We will bat first; the wicket looks good to bat on Day 1. Consistency is the key — to repeat performances and maintain intensity in every match. I’m still the same person, just with more responsibility now, and I like that.”
Gill’s confident yet grounded attitude reflected his growing maturity as India’s all-format leader.
West Indies Make Two Changes
West Indies skipper Roston Chase wasn’t too disappointed about losing the toss, stating that his team would have batted first as well. He revealed two changes — Tevin Imlach and Anderson Phillip came in for Brandon King and Johann Layne. Chase added that the focus was on batting long and playing positive cricket.
India and West Indies Playing XIs
India XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, B Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
West Indies XI: Tagenarine Chanderpaul, John Campbell, Alick Athanaze, Shai Hope, Kevon Imlach (wk), Roston Chase (c), Justin Greaves, Khary Pierre, Jomel Warrican, Anderson Phillip, Jayden Seales.
Also Read: "Selection isn't my job; it's the coach and captain's..." Mohammed Shami, expresses his anguish