India captain Shubman Gill scored a mammoth 430 runs across two innings, becoming the first player in history to record scores of 150+ and 200+ in the same Test
India have levelled the Test series against England at 1-1 thanks to a comprehensive victory at Edgbaston. Skipper Shubman Gill’s scores of 269 and 161 set them on their way to a crushing 336-run win.
England were set an almost impossible victory target of 608 when being sent in on the fourth evening after India declared their second innings on 427-6. And when openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, plus Joe Root, fell before stumps, the game was all-but up.
A rain delay did threaten some drama on day five and opened up the possibility of the hosts clinging on for a draw. But the weather abated in time for a 12.40pm start, and India got to work in claiming the seven wickets they needed.
Only Jamie Smith’s 88 provided any kind of meaningful resistance, but when his stubborn partnership with Ben Stokes was ended by Washington Sundar trapping the England captain LBW, India knew they were on course to level the series.
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Seamer Akash Deep took 6-99 including bouncing Smith out, sticking to his task despite the wicketkeeper launching him for two sixes earlier in the over. Deep took the final wicket, Brydon Carse falling for 38, to leave him with match figures of 10-187.
But the Test match belonged to Gill, his 269 in the first innings steering India to a total of 587 all out having lost the toss and been put in by Stokes.
England’s first innings scorecard was curious to say the last, with Harry Brook’s 158 and Smith’s 184 contributing 342 runs out of 407 all out as six batsmen fell for a duck.
Gill bludgeoned another 161 in the second innings from just 162 balls, but did come in for some criticism for waiting until India had a mammoth lead of 607 runs before pulling out, perhaps spooked by England’s chase in the first Test at Headingley.
But they still had plenty of time to seal the job on day five, even with the rain delay, as the final wicket fell before tea.
The two sides now head to Lord’s for the third Test, starting on Thursday. England will almost certainly rotate their bowling attack with Jofra Archer set to return to the fray for the first time in four years.