New Delhi: India ended the fourth day of the Edgbaston Test match in a commanding position, sniffing a win in the crucial second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England. After a day full of methodical all-round show by the visitors, India can sight a victory in the game with an aim to draw parity is the series after losing the first Test match in Leeds.
When stumps were called on Day 4, England, who were set a dauting 608-run target by India in the game, were at 72/3, needing another 536 runs for a win with Ollie Pope (24) and Harry Brook (15) holding the fort for the English side after Indian bowlers sent three of the batters back to the pavilion in slightly more than an hour’s play on the second-last day. Mohammed Siraj drew the first blood while Akash Deep excelled with two wickets to corner England.
This came after skipper Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul collectively took India to a second innings score of 427/6, from where they declared the innings after resuming from an overnight score of 64/1. With a first innings lead of 180 runs already in their pocket, India set England a mammoth total to win the match which, practically looks improbable.
Akash Deep, Siraj excel after batters majestic show
It was all about the innings from Gill who took the stadium by storm with a stupendous 161-run knock becoming the first batter in Test history to score a double ton and a 150-plus score in the same match. Gill’s show wasn’t all about the Indian innings as vice-captain Pant continued his stellar run from the first Test match with a fiery 65-run knock in 58 delivers while Jadeja also joined the show by scoring unbeaten 69 runs.
Earlier in the day, Rahul set the perfect base for India with a stellar half-century as his patient 55-run knock put England on the tenterhooks. It was followed by Karun Nair contributing 26 runs as India ruled the day on the stadium. For England, Josh Tongue and Shoaib Bashir managed to pick two Indian wickets while Brydon Carse and Joe Root claimed a wicket apiece.
After declaring the second innings, it was all about capitalisation on the sensational batting efforts produced by India and the bowlers didn’t disappoint in the part remaining on Day 4. Siraj gave the first breakthrough in just the second over by getting rid of Zak Crawley for a duck while in the fifth over, Akash haunted England with the wicket of Ben Duckett on 25.
Seasoned Joe Root was cleaned up for 6 by Akash to end the day on a high for India. India need seven wickets in three sessions on Sunday to win a Test match for the first time at this venue.