Shubman Gill continued his spellbinding form in the IND vs ENG 2nd Test, hitting a sublime 269 as India piled up a dominating first innings of 587. The Indian skipper broke several records with his innings, which include the highest score by an Indian captain and the highest individual score by any Indian in England.
Gill’s strokeplay and calmness were unmatched as he converted India’s tenuous 211/5 into an imposing one. He patched up two gargantuan partnerships 203 with Ravindra Jadeja for the sixth wicket and 144 with Washington Sundar for the seventh, to take the match away from England completely.
England’s top order collapses against India’s pace attack
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India’s dominance was also evident on the ball, as their pacers struck early. England were left stunned at 25/3 before stumps, yet still behind by 510 runs. Akash Deep, playing for Jasprit Bumrah, impressed with two early wickets, including Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope, the latter caught out sharply by KL Rahul off a thick edge.
Mohammed Siraj bowled a disciplined spell and was rewarded with Zak Crawley’s wicket, who fell in typical fashion—pushing at a wide delivery with hard hands and no footwork.
Shubman Gill: From Marathon Knock to Marvelous Catch
Following his marathon 387-ball innings, Shubman Gill had an instant impact with the ball. Only four balls into his return to the field from the dressing room, he made a breathtaking diving catch at third slip to get rid of Duckett, stamping his authority on the Test as an all-rounder.
England Batters Struggle After Long Fielding Stint
With the spending of 151 overs in the field, England’s batsmen seemed to be mentally and physically exhausted. Harry Brook alone put on a show of some resistance by remaining unbeaten at the end of the day after a free-scoring 52-run partnership with Joe Root. Brook drove Siraj straight and extra cover firmly, but did not escape Day 2 with his team yet out of trouble deep.
Jadeja and Sundar Provide Strong Lower-Order Support
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India’s aggressive lower-order picking policy, much criticized in the aftermath of Headingley, came good in a big way. Ravindra Jadeja played a fluent 89 before being dismissed by Josh Tongue’s short ball, while Washington Sundar rode out a short-ball onslaught before finding his feet and scoring useful runs, including a six over long leg.
Gill went on to explain in the post-session interview afterwards that Sundar was picked ahead of Kuldeep Yadav for the additional batting depth a decision that well paid off with India piling on a record 372 runs for the last five wickets.
Root Breaks Partnership, but England’s Bowlers Lacked Bite
Joe Root proved to be England’s best bowler, shattering Sundar’s resistance with an acute offbreak. To everyone’s surprise, both Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes bowled mere short spells at the beginning of the day and weren’t spotted again, perhaps because of injury management. England relied heavily on Shoaib Bashir, who remained wicketless for extended periods before mopping up the tail.
India’s Plan in Full Swing: Bat Deep, Strike Early
India’s game strategy is going perfectly in the IND vs ENG 2nd Test. They bolstered their lower order with bat-deep picks and are halfway there, having scored a huge first-innings total and already having three vital England wickets in hand. The job at hand is to pick 17 more and nail a statement victory on English soil.
Key Highlights – IND vs ENG 2nd Test, Day 2
Shubman Gill scores 269, breaking the record for the highest score by an Indian captain and the highest by an Indian in England.
India posts 587, their biggest total against England in the Stokes-McCullum era.
England slumped to 25/3 at stumps with early wickets from Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj.
Strong lower-order contributions from Jadeja (89) and Washington Sundar (42).
India’s bowlers are in control as England trails by 510 runs heading into Day 3.
ALSO READ: Most Overburdened Bowlers: List Of Top 5 Along With Jasprit Bumrah
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