India tightened their grip on the 2nd Test match against England on Day 4, courtesy of a spectacular century from Shubman Gill and clinical bowling spells from Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj.
Declaring at a daunting 427/6, India handed England an almost insurmountable target of 608 runs.
Starting the day with a commanding lead of 244 runs, Gill’s explosive 161 off 162 deliveries became the backbone of India’s batting dominance. His strokeplay, marked by finesse and aggression, saw him cruise past 150 after lunch. Pant (65 off 58) played the perfect partner, adding to England’s misery with quick scoring before falling to Shoaib Bashir.
Karun Nair (26) and KL Rahul (55) laid a solid foundation early in the day, with Rahul notching up a 78-ball fifty before being dismissed by Josh Tongue. India’s declaration came in the final session, setting the stage for a fiery bowling show.
England’s reply was rattled immediately. Zak Crawley was dismissed for a duck by Siraj, while Akash Deep removed Duckett (25) and Root (6) in quick succession. At stumps, England were tottering at 72/3, with Ollie Pope (24) and Harry Brook (15) holding fort.
With 536 runs needed and only one day left, India remain firm favourites to level the series in commanding fashion.
