Thursday 03 / July / 2025
Birmingham: A historic marathon double ton from skipper Shubman Gill and his 144-run stand with Washington Sundar helped India dominate the second session on day two of the second Test against England at Birmingham, posting in excess of 550 runs at the end of the session.
At Tea, India was 564/7, with Gill (265*) and Akash Deep (0*) unbeaten.
India kickstarted the second session at 419/6, with Gill (168*) joined by Washington Sundar (1*).
Washington and Gill moved cautiously for the first few overs, before Gill let his hands loose against Shoaib Bashir's spin and Josh Tongue's pace, fetching himself two fours and a six within a matter of eight deliveries.
Gill's boundary towards deep backwards square leg brought up 450 runs for India in 117.3 overs.
Gill was stuck on 199 as Washington Sundar collected a four and six against Tongue in the 120th over.
Finally, with a single off Tongue's delivery on the first ball of the 122nd over, Gill reached his maiden double ton in Test cricket, bringing down an array of records and becoming only the third Indian after Sunil Gavaskar and Rahul Dravid to do so.
After reaching the milestone, Gill got even more free-flowing, unleashing a brilliant reverse sweep and a beautiful glide against Bashir for two successive fours and smashing Harry Brook's part-time medium pace for a hat-trick of boundaries, including two beautiful drives straight down the ground.
With these, Gill overtook Sunil Gavaskar to register the highest-ever score by an Indian in England.
A cut against Brydon Carse helped India reach the 500-run mark in 127.1 overs.
Boundaries just kept flowing as Gill-Sundar reached the century stand for the seventh wicket in just 136 balls.
Gill reached the 250-run mark with a four against Harry Brook, in 348 balls, with 29 fours and three sixes.
Joe Root's part-time spin delivered the magic for England, as he uprooted Washington's stumps for 42 in 103 balls, with three fours and a six, ending an incredible 144-run partnership. India was 558/7 in 138.4 overs.
Akash Deep and Gill made sure India did not lose another wicket.
At the end of a largely India-dominant first session, India was 419/6, with Gill (168*) joined by Washington Sundar (1*).
India started the first session at 310/5, with Gill (114*) and Jadeja (41*) unbeaten. On the very first ball of the inning, Gill collected an easy single to bring up a century stand in 143 balls.
There was no changing this duo's positive intent and searching for runs, as Jadeja got two boundaries against Chris Woakes in the 87th over.
With a single off Woakes' delivery, Jadeja completed his 23rd half-century in Test and seventh against England. It came in 80 balls, with six fours. He continued his attacking game, cutting and punching against skipper Ben Stokes' pace.
India reached the 350-run mark after a single in 94.5 overs.In the 96th over, it was Gill's time to attack, slicing and driving Brydon Carse as the runs continued to leak, piling up England's worries.
The 150-run stand came up between Jadeja and Gill before the drinks as India continued to strangulate English bowlers.
Gill continued to produce some exquisite shots, reaching his first-ever 150 in Tests in 263 balls, with 17 fours. It was the second 150-plus score by an Indian captain in England after Mohammad Azharuddin's 179 at Old Trafford in 1990.
As the innings crossed 100 overs and India marched towards the 400-run mark, a highlight was a smooth reverse sweep played by the Indian skipper against Shoaib Bashir through the vacant backwards point region in the 103rd over.
In the 106th over by Bashir, Jadeja's six on the first ball helped India reach the 400-run mark, while the one on the last ball by the left-hander again helped Gill and him complete a double century partnership.
England's toil and perseverance finally bore fruit, as a short-ball from Josh Tongue rattled Jadeja, who landed a catch to Jamie Smith, going back for 89 in 137 balls, with 10 fours and a six. India was 414/6 in 107.3 overs.
Washington Sundar joined Gill to end the session without any further loss of wickets.
At the end of the final session yesterday, India was 310/5, with Gill (114*) and Jadeja (41*).On day one, after losing KL Rahul (2), an 80-run partnership between Jaiswal (87 in 107 balls, with 13 fours) and Karun Nair (31 in 50 balls, with five fours) put India in a good spot at the end of session one.
After Jaiswal and Gill stitched a 66-run stand, India lost Rishabh Pant (25 in 42 balls, with a four and a six) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (1) early. However, Gill (114* in 216 balls, with 12 fours) and Ravindra Jadeja (41* in 67 balls, with five fours) put on an unbeaten 99-run stand to take India to 310/5 at the day's end.
Brief scores: India: 564/7 (Shubman Gill 265*, Ravindra Jadeja 89, Chris Woakes 2/81).
