Gill’s Masterclass Puts India in Command as Lead Nears 500

Gill’s Masterclass Puts India in Command as Lead Nears 500

Shubman Gill notched up his second century of the match and continued a scintillating run as captain, leaving England battered and India firmly in control at Edgbaston on day four of the second Test.

At tea, India were 304 for 4 in their second innings, stretching their overall lead to a daunting 484 runs. Gill stood unbeaten on 100, his century coming off 130 balls, while Ravindra Jadeja was 25 not out in an unusually cautious knock. India, having declared at 587 in their first innings, look poised to dictate terms with time on their side and a tired England attack.

Gill’s hundred – his third in four innings as captain – came in clinical fashion. He began his innings with measured caution before unleashing an array of aggressive strokes. From 25 off 47 balls, he raced to a 57-ball half-century, dismantling the English bowling with a flurry of pull shots, particularly targeting Josh Tongue.

His partnership with Rishabh Pant for the fourth wicket proved pivotal, adding 110 runs in just 103 balls. Pant played in typically flamboyant fashion, sprinting to 65 off 58 deliveries. He had earlier rocketed to 41 off 35 by lunch and kept up the tempo before holing out to Ben Duckett at long-off while attempting one big shot too many off Shoaib Bashir – the young spinner’s only wicket in the innings so far. A dropped catch by Zak Crawley earlier had proved costly, as Pant added 55 more runs following the reprieve.

Gill’s match tally of 369 runs is now the highest ever by an Indian batter in a Test match, surpassing the legendary Sunil Gavaskar’s 344 against West Indies in 1971. His leadership tenure has started with fireworks, accumulating 524 runs in just four innings. If he continues in this vein, Don Bradman’s fabled record of 974 runs in a single series could be under threat.

India’s approach post-lunch was calculated, shifting between aggression and consolidation. Jadeja, promoted to No. 6 ahead of debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy, showed uncharacteristic restraint, scoring 25 off 68 balls as the hosts opted to grind England’s bowlers further into the Edgbaston turf.

With the lead approaching 500 and still six wickets in hand, Gill faces a strategic decision on when to declare. England are staring at the prospect of chasing a world-record target or battling to survive on a deteriorating surface against a rested Indian bowling attack.

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