Twice in Leeds, India had threatened to bury England underneath a mountain of runs — at 430 for 3 in the primary innings and 333 for 4 in the second.
But it was right here at Edgbaston on Thursday (July 3, 2025) that the guests lastly made good on the promise by raking up a mammoth 587-run whole on the second day of the second Test towards England.
Captain Shubman Gill led with a towering double century (269, 387b, 30×4, 3×6), the primary of his Test profession. It was additionally the perfect rating by an Indian captain, surpassing the unbeaten 254 Virat Kohli had made towards South Africa in Pune in 2019.
The effort quickly acquired an extra halo as Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj, aided by some sharp catching in the cordon, diminished England to 77 for 3 by stumps, with Joe Root (18 batting, 37b, 1×4) and Harry Brook (30 batting, 53b, 4×4, 1×6) on the crease.
Gill’s knock was an epitome of focus and self-discipline as he stood vigil for 509 lengthy minutes. Like a seasoned musician who knew the worth of not shoe-horning all of his potential hits into one single album, Gill was austere and but spectacular, enjoying his signature photographs however not all of them.
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Along with fellow in a single day batter Ravindra Jadeja, the 25-year-old mixed for a 203-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Like Gill, the southpaw too eschewed flamboyance, reserving it just for the swishing-sword celebration that got here out when he reached his twenty third Test half-century (89, 137b, 10×4, 1×6).
Gill started the morning with an attractive pushed boundary off Chris Woakes, after which whipped Brydon Carse to the mid-wicket fence and square-drove the pacer. England tried bowling brief, solely to come across Gill’s assured resistance, as seen in the way in which he deftly steered Carse behind sq. for 4.
Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir then introduced out his variations — coming across the wicket and in addition dispensing the carrom ball.
But Jadeja lofted him over long-on to convey up the workforce 400 earlier than Gill slog-swept the tall man to mark 200 runs of the affiliation.
However, moments earlier than lunch, a depraved supply from Josh Tongue caught a hopping Jadeja on the glove and the cherry lobbed to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.
Washington Sundar, chosen to lend India some batting depth, was welcomed with a barrage of brief deliveries into his physique. Stokes even stationed three slips, two leg-slips and two short-legs in a panic-inducing section.
But Washington absorbed the strain, returned from the break reworked and gave Gill the perfect firm (42, 103b, 3×4, 1×6) because the duo stood collectively for 144 runs, of which the skipper scored greater than two-thirds.
Gill hit Bashir for a six over mid-off after which cover-drove Tongue to maneuver into the 190s.
The double-century got here through a single off a managed pull to fine-leg, fairly emblematic of his total keep. It was minimalist batting and but wholly environment friendly.
After the milestone, Gill, who had till then adjusted and made sly cuts to his normally vibrant strategy, turned expansive. Ben Stokes tossed the ball to part-timer Brook and Gill duly caned him for 5 fours.
However, similar to in the primary session, a set Indian batter fell earlier than a recess, with Root rearranging Washington’s stumps. After tea, Gill departed too, however not earlier than setting up a monument that actually stood the take a look at of time.
