Day 3 of the second Test between India and England at Edgbaston is poised to be a potentially decisive day, with India in a commanding position after Shubman Gill's record-breaking double century. Gill's magnificent 269 propelled India to a formidable 587 in their first innings, placing his team in a strong position.
Gill's innings wasn't just a personal milestone; it was a record-shattering performance that rewrote several long-standing Indian records in overseas Tests. He surpassed the recently retired Virat Kohli's 254 against South Africa in Pune (2019) as the highest score by an Indian Test captain and overtook Sachin Tendulkar's 241 against Australia in Sydney as the highest score by an Indian batsman in a Test outside Asia. Gill also broke Sunil Gavaskar's record of 221, which stood for 46 years, becoming the first Indian captain to score a double century on English soil. Moreover, it was also the highest-ever score made by an Indian batter in Tests in England and the best score made by an Asian Test captain in SENA nations.
His innings included 30 fours and 6 sixes, demonstrating his ability to build, anchor, and dominate. Gill had significant partnerships, including 203 runs with Ravindra Jadeja (89) and 144 runs with Washington Sundar (42). Sundar's innings of 42 off 103 balls showcased resilience and composure, providing crucial support to his captain.
After India's strong batting performance, their bowlers capitalized, giving themselves a valuable 20-over spell late in the day. Akash Deep made a big impact, taking two wickets in his second over by dismissing Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope. Mohammed Siraj further compounded England's problems by dismissing Zak Crawley. England closed Day 2 at 77 for 3, trailing by 510 runs. Joe Root (18) and Harry Brook (30) managed to steady the innings somewhat after the early setbacks. Later, Mohammed Siraj picked up Ben Stokes.
Shubman Gill shared his thoughts on his innings " I mainly worked on my initial movement and my setup... In this series, I tried to go back to my basics. I tried to bat like I used to in my childhood. I didn't think about having reached 35-40 runs or about playing long innings. I just wanted to enjoy my batting". Gill also shared a message from his father stating, "Well played, I enjoyed watching your batting, and my heart was at peace... but he did also tell me that I missed my triple century. Hopefully, we'll end this match on a great note".
India will aim to take early wickets on Day 3 to extend their dominance, while England will hope that Root and Brook can mount a significant partnership to reduce the deficit.
