Shubman Gill turned himself right into a digital ‘Run Machine’, smashing his third hundred in 4 innings to extend India’s lead to a wholesome 484 runs at tea on day 4 of the second Test towards England in Birmingham on Saturday (July 5, 2025).
Gill modified gears put up the lunch break to push the scoring fee earlier than finishing his second hundred of the sport on the stroke of tea. India added 127 runs from 30 overs within the session.
He introduced the uncommon milestone with a single off Bashir within the penultimate over earlier than the tea break as India reached 304 for 4 within the second innings. Following his double within the first innings, the hundred celebrations weren’t excessive, signaling his deal with levelling the sequence.
In the method, he additionally additionally surpassed the good Sunil Gavaskar to tally probably the most runs by an Indian in a Test match. Gavaskar had amassed 344 runs in one of many Tests towards West Indies again in 1971 at Port of Spain.
Gill shared a 110-run stand with Rishabh Pant (65 off 58) who exhibited breathtaking strokeplay and departed in a becoming trend as he misplaced management of his bat in his try to whack Shoaib Bashir out of the park.
If Gill was the attacked by English bowlers within the morning session, he took the onus upon himself to take the assault again to the opposition camp in the second.
Josh Tongue tried the brief ball towards Gill initially of the session and Gill was completely happy to pull it over high quality leg on two events. His knock included a flat batted boundary off Tongue whereas the Indian captain confirmed complete disdain when Bashir was in operation.
In the morning session, KL Rahul misplaced his center stump to a magnificence from Tongue earlier than Pant made the morning session extra entertaining along with his inimitable strokeplay, leaving India at 177 for 3 at lunch.
The 13-over outdated ball was anticipated to do a bit in cloudy situations and it did for the England pacers particularly Brydon Carse who bowled his coronary heart out within the session.
Rahul (55 off 84) performed some majestic cowl drives earlier than being undone by a peach from Tongue that straightened from an angle to uproot the Indian batter’s center stump.
Karun Nair (26 off 46) was the primary wicket to fall on the day, a results of Carse’s relentless stress. Soon after being pushed for 4, Carse continued to lure Nair right into a drive and was rewarded with an out of doors edge to the wicket-keeper.
The tall bowler, who dismissed Nair with a snorter within the first innings, hit Nair’s grille with a nasty bouncer, prompting a concussion verify.
Pant got here out within the thirtieth over and went ballistic from the get go. He smashed Josh Tongue for a 4 and a six over mid-off to make his intentions clear earlier than executing a falling decide up shot off Ben Stokes that went all the way in which.
The crowd completely loved the battle between Pant and England bowlers. Towards the top of the session, Pant tried a wild slog off Tongue however the bat slipped out his arms. Jamie Smith did nicely to acquire the ball behind the stumps.
