Shubman Gill's recent double century against England has stirred considerable discussion, with former England captain Michael Atherton adding fuel to the fire through a remark that subtly "ridiculed" Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar. During his commentary on Day 2 of the Test match at Edgbaston, as Gill surpassed 200 runs, Atherton pointed out that Gill had accomplished something that neither Tendulkar nor Kohli had achieved in their illustrious careers: scoring a double century in England.

Atherton's comment, "Shubman Gill at No.4 is filling in the big shoes... Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar's slots, but neither of those two has made a double century in England," understandably ruffled the feathers of many Kohli and Tendulkar fans. While praising Gill's "masterful performance," Atherton highlighted that Gill had managed to do what the two legendary Indian batsmen couldn't. He described Gill's innings as "utterly chanceless," emphasizing his elegant drives through the off-side and the "air of inevitability" surrounding his play.

Gill's innings was not just a personal milestone but also a record-breaking feat. His score of 269 is the highest by an Indian on English soil and the highest by an Indian captain in any Test match. This surpassed Virat Kohli's previous record of 254 against South Africa in Pune in 2019. It is also the first instance of an Asian captain hitting a double century in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) countries. Furthermore, Gill's double century is now the highest score by an Indian batsman in a Test outside Asia, surpassing Tendulkar's 241 against Australia in Sydney, and the highest score by an Indian batsman in a Test in England, exceeding Gavaskar's 221 at the Oval in 1979.

In response to his achievement, Gill shared that he had been working on specific aspects of his batting in preparation for the Test series. He noted that the results were a testament to his hard work. Gill also expressed his delight in the team's improved fielding performance in the Edgbaston Test, which was something they had focused on as a team.

While Atherton's remark can be seen as a lighthearted jibe, it underscores the magnitude of Gill's accomplishment. Tendulkar came close to a double century in England, scoring 193 in 2002 at Headingley, and Kohli's highest Test score in England, 149, also came at Edgbaston in 2018. Gill's innings has solidified his position as a key player in the Indian team and has set a new benchmark for Indian batsmen in England. It also highlights the pressure Gill faces filling the No. 4 position previously held by Tendulkar and Kohli. Before the series, concerns were raised about Gill's away Test average of 31, but he has definitively silenced those doubters.