Shubman Gill takes guard at the dawn of India's next test

In September 2024, on the eve of the Duleep Trophy as India's domestic season stirred to life under overcast Bengaluru skies, Shubman Gill allowed himself a brief glance into the near future.

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A long stretch of Test cricket lay ahead, his chance to steady what had been a stop-start journey in the format. "Hopefully, after these 10 Tests end, I'll be up to my expectations or more," said the captain of India 'A'.

He began with a century in Chennai. Then came an accomplished 90 on a turner in Mumbai. But soon, the season drifted, much like his brief Test career so far, into a familiar mix of promise and pauses. But just eight months on, the view has entirely shifted. The 'A' has slipped away. Gill now stands as India's 37th Test captain, at the front of a new era, with more than just his own expectations resting on his shoulders.