IND vs WI, 2nd Test: Fans, Teammates Cheer as Shubman Gill Breaks 6-Match Toss Curse, India to Bat First

Indian cricket fans rejoiced as Shubman Gill won his first toss as Test captain and chose to bat against the West Indies in the second Test. Gill’s calm confidence and talk of “consistency” have fans hailing him as the future of Indian cricket.

After enduring six consecutive losses at the toss since taking over as India’s Test captain, Shubman Gill finally broke the streak on Friday — winning his first toss and opting to bat against the West Indies in the second Test in New Delhi. The toss win, seemingly routine for most captains, carried a special significance for the 26-year-old — and Indian fans were quick to celebrate the milestone online.

Social media platforms lit up with congratulatory messages, memes, and heartfelt posts from fans who hailed the moment as “the dawn of a new era” in Indian cricket. “First toss win, first step towards a golden chapter,” one user wrote on X, while another commented, “Captain Gill finally breaks the toss curse!”

Gill Opts to Bat First on a Batting-Friendly Pitch

Speaking at the toss, a calm and confident Gill said the decision to bat first was a no-brainer given the nature of the wicket.

“The wicket looks good, we want to pile on the runs. Consistency is key, to repeat performances and maintain performances. Captaincy hasn’t changed me much, more responsibilities now — I like that. Very exciting future for me,” Gill remarked.

Gill added India would like to put on a big total as the wicket looks conducive for batting.

India Unchanged, West Indies Bring in Two Fresh Faces

India have retained the same playing XI that crushed the Roston Chase-led West Indies by an innings and 140 runs in Ahmedabad. That win marked a dominant start to Gill’s tenure and set the tone for a clean sweep in this two-match series.

The West Indies, however, made two changes in an attempt to strengthen their batting depth and pace attack — bringing in Tevin Imlach and Anderson Phillip in place of Brandon King and Johann Layne.

IND vs WI, 2nd Test: Playing XIs

India: 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: Tagenarine Chanderpaul, John Campbell, Alick Athanaze, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach (wk), Roston Chase (c), Justin Greaves, Khary Pierre, Jomel Warrican, Anderson Phillip, Jayden Seales.

How Fans Reacted to Shubman Gill's First Toss Win