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Shubman Gill delivers a captain's knock to almost define the phrase, grinds England's fortunes into the dirt
India captain Shubman Gill celebrates after completing his double century on Day 2 of the second Test against England at Edgbaston. Reuters
At Headingley, India were guilty on two occasions of failing to capitalise when their batsmen were on top – positions of 430/3 and 333/4 collapsing to 471 and 364 all out respectively – it was undoubtedly the biggest factor in them losing the game.
After a superb second day for India here at Edgbaston, it is certainly not an accusation that can be levelled at them in this Test.
That is not to say that the tourists were not in danger of repeating the trick, they were 211/5 on Day One when Chris Woakes bowled Nitish Kumar Reddy, the very real prospect of an under par total – considering the favourable batting conditions – looming into view once again.
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That though was not in the plans of Shubman Gill, India's skipper almost personally willing his side to a formidable 587 all out.
Ensuring India avoid a repeat of Headingley
This was a captain's innings from Gill to almost define the phrase. By the time he somewhat tiredly chipped Josh Tongue to Ollie Pope at square leg, shortly after the tea break, he had amassed 269 runs, a new personal best and the highest score by any Indian batsman in England.
India's selection moves to strengthen their batting in this match have so far been hit (Washington Sundar) and miss (Nitish Kumar Reddy) but it is ultimately Gill who has ensured that there would be no repeat of Headingley this time around.
Gill tormented England with as close to a chanceless knock as is possible without the introduction of complex robotic technology. Over the course of his heroic 387-ball innings statisticians CricViz had his false shot percentage at just 5 per cent – one of the lowest on record since the ball-tracking era began.
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Very few areas of the field were safe from India's captain, against pace he peppered the offside boundary from third man to cover, with plenty of fours sprinkled in on the leg side for good measure. Against spin he twice cleared the rope on the leg side, with a third almost straight down the ground. In short he made England's bowlers' lives a misery.
At the heart of two crucial partnerships
Crucially of course it was not a total one man show for India, but Gill was at the heart of the two partnerships that slowly crushed English spirits over the course of day two. When Ravi Jadeja came to the crease following the wicket of Reddy, India's eventual mega-total was very far from being in view – India needed a partnership to prevent 211/5 becoming terminal.
A partnership is exactly what they got, Jadeja and Gill putting on 203 together for the sixth wicket, by the time the all-rounder fell – tangled up by a Tongue bouncer – India were 414/6 and on their way to something mammoth.
Given how events at Headingley transpired, that though was still not guaranteed and for the second wicket in succession, Gill banded together with an all-rounder to put together another partnership to torture England.
Gill and Sundar added 144 for the sixth wicket, by the time the latter fell for 42, their side had made 558, a huge total racked up, England's fortunes ground into the dirt.
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If India's day had been measured solely by their achievements with the bat, then they would have gone home delighted. As it is their bowlers decided to well and truly join the party too, having England 77/3 at the close. For an indication of where that leaves the hosts, even if their current pair put together a partnership of 300 they will still be well behind in the game.
Now if India's bowlers can produce the same clinical turning of the screw on day three that their batsmen managed on Thursday, they could very well find themselves on the way to Lord's with the series squared at 1-1.
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