As India continues to dominate the second Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test at Edgbaston, former wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has advised the team to bat for just 10 to 12 more overs before declaring, aiming for a lead in the range of 500 to 530 runs.
At the tea break on Day 3, India had amassed a commanding lead of 484 runs. Shubman Gill continued his purple patch with the bat, scoring a sublime century—his third in just four innings as captain. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant brought the momentum with a quickfire 65, lifting India’s total and setting the stage for a potential declaration.
“Bat for 10–12 overs, get as much as possible—500, 530, whatever—and then put England in and try to get a couple of wickets before stumps,” said Karthik on Sky Sports during the tea interval.
Former England cricketer Mark Butcher offered a slightly different perspective, suggesting India may look to bat longer to ensure England is completely out of contention. “India have lost a bit of a window, but that’s a legacy of the fear Ben Stokes and England have instilled in teams about setting fourth-innings targets,” he noted.
“But India want to make sure England are fully batted out of the game. Then you ask a team that’s averse to playing for draws whether they have the temperament to survive. The pitch says they should be able to—but will they?”
After Pant’s dismissal, Gill was joined by Ravindra Jadeja, whose ultra-defensive approach raised eyebrows. At tea, Jadeja had crawled to 25 off 68 balls, and the partnership was worth 68 runs off 130 balls. Butcher called the slowdown “baffling.”
“India could have given themselves more time to bowl England out by scoring at a quicker rate. They did that when Pant was batting, but not afterwards,” Butcher said. “Whether it was the right decision, we’ll know tomorrow. But for now, it’s questionable. This pitch is still great for batting—if not for compelling cricket.”
As India weighs the timing of their declaration, the stage is set for a riveting fourth innings—one that will test England’s famed aggressive approach against the pressure of an uphill chase.
