Virender Sehwag vs Shubman Gill: Test stats after 35 matches

Published - 17 Jul 2025, 11:10 IST | Updated - 17 Jul 2025, 13:54 IST

Virender Sehwag is regarded as one of the best openers in Test cricket for India and has played a total of 104 matches in the format. He opened the innings for India in 98 Test matches and scored 8124 runs at an average of 50.14. Only Sunil Gavaskar scored more runs than Sehwag while opening the innings for the team. The Nawab of Najafgarh scored 22 centuries as an opener, while the now 76-year-old finished with 33 centuries to his name, a world record then.

Shubman Gill, the recently appointed captain of the Indian team, has already conquered a lot of records in England. During the second Test of the series, Gill was very close to becoming the third Indian batter to score a triple-century, however, he missed out narrowly, departing for 269 in the first innings, but he followed it up with a brilliant 161 in the second.

Sehwag started his career as a middle-order batter and found success as an opener. Gill, on the other hand, started his career as an opener, but moved a spot lower and now finally has confirmed to bat at number four since taking over the captaincy. The Lord’s Test between India and England was the 35th game of Gill’s career. Let’s look at where Gill stands in front of Sehwag.

After playing 35 Test matches for India, the Delhi-born scored 3123 runs at an average of 55.76. On the contrary, the Fazilka-born has made 2500 runs in 35 Test matches so far at an average of 41.66. Sehwag made 10 centuries, while Gill has scored eight.

Four out of these centuries for both players came in overseas conditions. By the time the former cricketer was done with 35 appearances in India whites, he had scored a century in challenging conditions of South Africa, England, Australia, and Pakistan, showing early promise and thereby cementing his spot as the permanent opener, whose partners kept changing throughout his 12-year-long career.

Sehwag took 37 innings to score his triple-century in Pakistan. Meanwhile, four out of eight centuries from Gill have come in England and Bangladesh. Gill’s spectacular double-century against The Three Lions came in his 62nd innings.

Sehwag was the first Indian batter to score a century batting at number six or below in the 21st century. From his debut till the time Sehwag played his 35th match, he scored the third-most runs by an Indian batter, behind the legendary duo of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, which also made India a force to be reckoned with under Sourav Ganguly's captaincy.

Since his debut, the 25-year-old has scored the second-most runs for India in red-ball internationals and is only behind his vice-captain Rishabh Pant. No other Indian batter has made more centuries in Test cricket than Gill since his debut.