Dominant India Tighten Grip on Edgbaston Test as Gill, Akash Deep Shine.
India stamped their authority on Day 4 of the second Test against England, with skipper Shubman Gill crafting yet another sublime innings and Akash Deep rattling the English top order to leave the hosts reeling.
Resuming the day at 64/1 with a healthy lead of 244, India lost Karun Nair (26) and KL Rahul (55) in a testing opening hour. But what followed was a batting masterclass from captain Gill and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, who counter-attacked with flair.
Pant wasted no time, taking the attack to England’s bowlers and racing to a blistering 65 off 58 balls, while Gill calmly rebuilt before accelerating. The pair added a rapid 110-run stand off 103 balls, pushing India’s lead well past 400 by lunch.
After Pant’s dismissal, Gill carried on with measured aggression, forging a crucial partnership with Ravindra Jadeja. He went on to register another century, becoming the first player in Test history to score both a double century and a 150 in the same match. Gill eventually fell for 161, with India declaring soon after at 672/5, setting England an imposing target of 608 runs.
Akash Deep Dents England Early
England’s chase began shakily. Though Ben Duckett showed intent with early boundaries, India’s bowlers struck quickly. Mohammed Siraj removed Zak Crawley for a duck, and Akash Deep dismissed both Duckett and the dangerous Joe Root in quick succession — the latter with a brilliant delivery that nipped away to hit off stump.
By stumps, England were 72/3, with Ollie Pope (24)* and Harry Brook (15)* at the crease and a massive 536 runs still required for victory. India, firmly in command, will head into Day 5 with sights set on a series-leveling win.
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