Virender Sehwag is widely regarded as one of India’s top Test openers, having appeared in 104 matches. He opened the innings for India in 98 Tests, scoring 8124 runs at an average of 50.14. Sunil Gavaskar scored more runs than Sehwag while opening the innings for the team. The Nawab of Najafgarh scored 22 centuries as an opener, and the now-76-year-old concluded with 33 centuries, a world record at the time.
Shubman Gill, the newly selected captain of the Indian team, has already broken numerous records in England. Gill was on the verge of becoming the third Indian batsman to hit a triple-century during the second Test of the series, but he lost out by a whisker, retiring for 269 in the first innings before scoring a stunning 161 in the second.
Sehwag began his career as a middle-order batsman but found success as an opener. Gill, on the other hand, began his career as an opener, dropped down a slot, and has since declared that he will bat at number four after taking over as captain. The Lord’s Test between India and England marked Gill’s 35th game. Let’s take a look at where Gill stands in front of Sehwag.
Sehwag and Shubman Gill’s stats comparison after 35 Tests
| Virender Sehwag | Particulars | Shubman Gill |
| 35 | Matches | 35 |
| 57 | Innings | 65 |
| 1 | Not Outs | 5 |
| 3123 | Runs | 2500 |
| 309 | High Score | 269 |
| 55.76 | Bat Average | 41.66 |
| 4287 | Balls Faced | 4004 |
| 72.84 | Strike-Rate | 62.43 |
| 10 | 100s | 8 |
| 9 | 50s | 7 |
| 4 | 0s | 5 |
| 450 | 4s | 276 |
| 35 | 6s | 43 |
Sehwag vs Shubman Gill after 35 Test matches
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.
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