Can India Seal Victory After Gill's Stunning 161 and New Ball Strikes?

Birmingham, July 5 (NationPress) Captain Shubman Gill showcased his brilliance once again with a stunning 161 runs, following his masterful 269 in the first innings. Meanwhile, Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj claimed three wickets with the new ball, helping India to assert their dominance as England ended day four at 72/3 in the second Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test at Edgbaston on Saturday.

With India declaring their second innings at 427/6, England faced a challenging target of 608. Gill’s elegant innings was adorned with 13 fours and eight sixes, marking his eighth Test century, his fifth against England, and his third as India’s Test captain.

With a total of 430 runs, Gill has become the second-highest run-scorer in a single Test match, trailing only behind England’s Graham Gooch (456 runs). Additionally, he’s the first player to score 200 and 150 in the same Test match. He received strong support from KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Ravindra Jadeja, all of whom scored half-centuries.

The duo of Akash and Siraj wreaked havoc on England's top order, mirroring their success from the first innings. As Harry Brook and Ollie Pope remained unbeaten on 15 and 24 respectively, England now requires 536 more runs to claim victory, while India is hunting for seven wickets to secure a remarkable series-levelling win, provided rain doesn’t intervene.

The day's play opened with Rahul, starting from 28, striking two boundaries off Brydon Carse. Carse then challenged Karun Nair with short deliveries, leading to his dismissal for 26 after a successful catch by keeper Jamie Smith.

Rahul soon reached another impressive fifty but was bowled for 55 by Josh Tongue, who managed to sneak a delivery past his defenses. Rishabh Pant entered the fray energetically, hitting a series of boundaries, including a six, before narrowly escaping a catch.

Pant's explosive innings included swift boundaries and a humorous moment when he lost his grip on the bat. He ultimately scored 65 before being dismissed, while Gill continued to dominate, reaching his century with grace.

As the final session began, Jadeja quickly shifted gears, and Gill kept accumulating runs, reaching 150 with a series of powerful shots. He ultimately departed after scoring 161, leaving the crowd in awe.

England's chase initiated with Ben Duckett hitting boundaries off Siraj, but soon saw trouble as Zak Crawley fell for a duck. Despite some resistance, England ended the day with 72/3 against India's significant lead.

Brief scores:

India 587 and 427/6 dec in 83 overs (Shubman Gill 161, Rishabh Pant 65, KL Rahul 55, Ravindra Jadeja 69 not out; Josh Tongue 2-93, Shoaib Bashir 2-119) lead England 407 and 72/3 in 16 overs (Ben Duckett 25, Harry Brook 24 not out; Akash Deep 2-36, Mohammed Siraj 1-29) by 536 runs