Twice in Leeds India had threatened to bury England under a mountain of runs – at 430 for three in the first innings and 333 for four in the second.
But it was here at Edgbaston on Thursday that the visitors finally made good on the promise by raking up a mammoth 587-run total on the second day of the second Test against England.
Captain Shubman Gill led with a towering double century (269, 387b, 30×4, 3×6), the first of his Test career. It was also the best score by an Indian captain, surpassing the unbeaten 254 Virat Kohli had made against South Africa in Pune in 2019.
The effort soon acquired an additional halo as Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj, aided by some sharp catching in the cordon, reduced England to 77 for three by stumps, with Joe Root (18 batting, 37b, 1×4) and Harry Brook (30 batting, 53b, 4×4, 1×6) at the crease.
Akash Deep picked two wickets in an over as India reduced England to 77 for three by stumps.
| Photo Credit:
AP
Akash Deep picked two wickets in an over as India reduced England to 77 for three by stumps.
| Photo Credit:
AP
Gill’s knock was an epitome of concentration and discipline as he stood vigil for 509 long minutes. Like a seasoned musician who knew the value of not shoe-horning all of his potential hits into one single album, Gill was austere and yet impressive, playing his signature shots but not all of them.
Along with fellow overnight batter Ravindra Jadeja, the 25-year-old combined for a 203-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Like Gill, the southpaw too eschewed flamboyance, reserving it only for the swishing-sword celebration that came out when he reached his 23rd Test half-century (89, 137b, 10×4, 1×6).
Gill began the morning with a beautiful driven boundary off Chris Woakes, and then whipped Brydon Carse to the mid-wicket fence and square-drove the pacer. England tried bowling short, only to encounter Gill’s assured resistance, as seen in the way he deftly steered Carse behind square for four.
Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir then brought out his variations – coming around the wicket and also dishing out the carrom ball. But Jadeja lofted him over long-on to bring up the team 400 before Gill slog-swept the tall man to mark 200 runs of the association.
However, moments before lunch, a wicked delivery from Josh Tongue caught a hopping Jadeja on the glove and the cherry lobbed to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith. Washington Sundar, chosen to lend India some batting depth, was welcomed with a barrage of short deliveries into his body. Stokes even stationed three slips, two leg-slips and two short-legs in a panic-inducing phase.
But Washington absorbed the pressure, returned from the break transformed and gave Gill the ideal company (42, 103b, 3×4, 1×6) as the duo stood together for 144 runs, of which the skipper scored more than two-thirds.
Also read | Full list of records broken by Shubman Gill during 269-run innings against England
Gill hit Bashir for a six over mid-off and then cover-drove Tongue to move into the 190s. The double-century came via a single off a controlled pull to fine-leg, quite emblematic of his overall stay. It was minimalist batting and yet wholly efficient.
After the milestone, Gill, who had until then adjusted and made sly cuts to his usually vibrant approach, turned expansive. Ben Stokes tossed the ball to part-timer Harry Brook and Gill duly caned him for five fours.
However, just like in the first session, a set Indian batter fell before a recess, with Root rearranging Washington’s stumps. After tea, Gill departed too, but not before constructing a monument that literally stood the test of time.
