On a day when India firmly took charge of the second Test at Edgbaston, it was Shubman Gill who stood tall with a marathon 269—his career-best knock that not only rewrote records but also sent a clear message: the captain was here to lead from the front.
From a shaky 211/5, India posted a mammoth 587, thanks largely to Gill’s masterclass in patience, precision and strokeplay. Support came in the form of two crucial partnerships—203 with Ravindra Jadeja (89) and 144 with Washington Sundar (42)—as India’s lower middle order rallied around the skipper.
If Gill’s innings was about endurance and elegance, the Indian pacers followed it up with incisive intent. Akash Deep, playing in place of the rested Jasprit Bumrah, removed Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope in consecutive deliveries, while Mohammed Siraj dismissed Zak Crawley to leave England at 77/3 at stumps, still trailing by 510 runs.
The day, though, belonged entirely to Gill. He walked in with India in trouble and walked out to a standing ovation, having batted for over eight hours and faced 380 balls.
In the process, he became only the second Indian captain to score a double century in England and now holds the record for the highest individual score by an Indian in Tests in the country.
Gill’s knock, studded with 30 boundaries and three sixes, was also the seventh-highest individual score by an Indian in Test cricket.
The moment of his double century—a pulled boundary off Josh Tongue—was met with a celebratory punch in the air and a bow to the dressing room, a gesture that summed up the confidence and calm that defined his innings.
Earlier in the day, he and Jadeja steadily rebuilt the innings, with Jadeja playing a typically composed knock, complete with his trademark sword celebration upon reaching fifty. After Jadeja’s departure, Washington Sundar offered solid resistance and kept the scoreboard ticking alongside his captain.
Gill’s dismissal—caught at square leg while attempting a hook—triggered the end of India’s innings, with Bashir picking up the final wickets to finish with 3-167. Woakes (2-81) and Tongue (2-119) also chipped in, but England’s bowling unit largely toiled with minimal success on a flat pitch.
England’s reply began positively with Crawley finding early boundaries, but Akash Deep struck back to remove Duckett and Pope in quick succession, with Gill taking a sharp diving catch to dismiss the former. Siraj then had Crawley nicking one to Karun Nair at slip.
With Joe Root (18*) and Harry Brook (30*) at the crease, England ended the day under pressure, knowing they face a daunting task ahead on Day Three.
For India, the day was as close to perfect as it gets—led by a captain who didn’t just talk the talk, but batted like he was built for this very challenge.
Brief Scores:
India 587 all out in 151 overs (Shubman Gill 269, Ravindra Jadeja 89, Yashasvi Jaiswal 87, Washington Sundar 42; Shoaib Bashir 3/167, Chris Woakes 2/81, Josh Tongue 2/119)
England 77/3 in 20 overs (Harry Brook 30; Akash Deep 2/36, Mohammed Siraj 1/21)