Shubman Gill’s monumental 269 powered India to a dominant position in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test at Edgbaston, with England reeling at 77/3 in 20 overs at stumps on day two. Trailing by a massive 510 runs, the hosts face an uphill task to claw back into the contest.
Gill’s sensational knock – a career-best – etched multiple records: it is now the highest individual Test score by an Indian captain, and also the highest by any Indian batter in England. His 269 anchored India’s imposing total of 587 in 151 overs. The skipper found valuable support from all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja (89) and Washington Sundar (42), with partnerships of 203 and 144 for the sixth and seventh wickets respectively, helping India recover from a precarious position on day one.
With Jasprit Bumrah rested, Akash Deep stepped up to seize the spotlight. The right-arm pacer removed Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope in consecutive deliveries, finishing with figures of 2 for 36. Mohammed Siraj joined the party with the crucial wicket of Zak Crawley (19), drawing an edge that was neatly taken at first slip by Karun Nair.
Earlier, Crawley had begun aggressively, striking a couple of crisp boundaries off Akash. But the momentum shifted swiftly when Duckett edged to Shubman Gill, who had just returned to the field and took a flying catch at second slip. Pope followed immediately, edging to KL Rahul at slips on the very next delivery.
As England slumped to 24/3, Joe Root (18*) and Harry Brook (30*) began the rescue act. The duo weathered the storm with a mix of caution and counterattack, Brook especially playing fluent drives and flicks to keep the scoreboard ticking. His back-to-back boundaries off Prasidh Krishna offered some resistance, but the day belonged firmly to India.
Earlier in the final session, Gill’s dismissal triggered the end of India’s innings. Attempting a hook shot, he found square leg, walking back to a standing ovation from the Edgbaston crowd. Shoaib Bashir wrapped up the innings by removing Akash Deep and Siraj, finishing with figures of 3 for 167.
With three full days remaining and a massive deficit to erase, England’s hopes rest heavily on Root and Brook to deliver something extraordinary.
Brief Scores:
India 587 in 151 overs (Shubman Gill 269, Ravindra Jadeja 89; Shoaib Bashir 3-167, Chris Woakes 2-81)
England 77/3 in 20 overs (Harry Brook 30*, Joe Root 18*; Akash Deep 2-36, Mohammed Siraj 1-21)
India lead by 510 runs.
