Cricket has a way of humbling even the best—and Shubman Gill would know that all too well right now. But if you're anywhere near the Indian dressing room, it's probably best not to bring it up. In fact, you might want to keep your distance from the Indian captain altogether.

Gill, who has been in sparkling form all series and has broken record after record with the bat, suffered a moment of madness on Day 1 of the fifth and final Test against England at The Oval. It was a costly lapse—one that could potentially have a big impact on the outcome of this high-stakes match.

The day had already been interrupted by rain, but after play resumed in the second session, Gill and Sai Sudharsan looked composed at the crease. The pitch had some juice in it, with the occasional ball rising sharply from a good length, but both batters were handling the conditions well—until disaster struck in the 28th over.

Gus Atkinson bowled a full delivery, and Gill met it with a confident forward stride and a solid defensive push. Nothing unusual so far. But what happened next left everyone stunned.

For reasons known only to him, Gill suddenly set off for a quick single, despite the fact that the ball was still well within the bowler’s reach. Sudharsan reacted instinctively, taking a step before immediately putting his hand up to send Gill back. But by then, it was too late.

Gill had already committed, and as he turned to scramble back, he slipped slightly on the damp surface. It didn’t really matter—he was already in no-man’s land. Atkinson, alert as ever, pounced on the ball in his follow-through, picked it up cleanly with his left hand, and threw down the stumps with Gill well short of his ground.

Gill glanced back at Sudharsan, who simply gestured that the run was never on—and he was right. It was a clear misjudgment from the Indian skipper. To his credit, Gill didn’t argue or protest. He just walked off, visibly frustrated, having scored 21.

Commentating from the box, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting didn’t mince words. “It’s a disaster for India,” he said. “There was never a run there. Atkinson was sharp, had all the time in the world to collect and hit. On a pitch like this, that’s the last thing you want as a batter.”

But it wasn’t all bad news for Gill. Before his unfortunate dismissal, he crossed a major milestone, surpassing the legendary Sunil Gavaskar to become the Indian captain with the most runs in a bilateral Test series. Gill now has 743-* runs in the series, eclipsing Gavaskar’s 732 against the West Indies back in 1978-79.

Soon after his dismissal, rain returned to halt play again. At stumps, India were 85 for 3, with Sudharsan unbeaten on 28 and Karun Nair yet to get off the mark.