Edgbaston Test: Shubman Gill breaks Sunil Gavaskar's 54-year old record as India surge ahead of England
Shubman Gill set a new record for the most runs scored in a Test match by an Indian | AFP
Shubman Gill's English summer just keeps getting better. After recording the highest Test score by an Asian captain in SENA countries (SA, ENG, NZ and AUS), the Indian skipper followed it up by motoring to another hundred in the second innings of the ongoing Edgbaston Test against England.
Gill's flawless innings on the fourth day saw him go past Gavaskar's tally of 344 runs (220 and 124 against West Indies in 1971), a record that stood for a mammoth period of 54 years. At the tea break on day four, Gill was unbeaten on 100, taking his tally in the Test match to 369 runs.
Gill is also only the second Indian after Gavaskar to achieve the enviable feat of a double ton and a ton in the same Test match, overall the ninth to do so.
Only Graham Gooch (333 and 123 vs India at Lord's 1990) and Greg Chappell (247* and 133 against New Zealand at Wellington 1974) have scored more runs in a Test match ever. With a minimum of 35 overs still to be bowled in the day, Gill has a realistic chance of breaching the all-time record, although he may be tempted to declare earlier to have a crack at England's top order this evening.
Much like the first innings, Gill was at his effortless best on the fourth day, hardly troubled by anything that England threw at him. Brydon Carse was in the midst of a terrific spell in the morning session but Gill weathered it with ease and after a slow start, opened up with his trademark strokes. There was a clear gameplan from the skipper to bat patiently till lunch and once the second session started, Gill took on the bowlers.
With Rishabh Pant going at a brisk pace at the other end, Gill could afford to take his time and with the surface not doing a great deal, the 25-year-old ensured that he kept his purple patch going by peeling off his third ton of the series. India ended the second session with the total at 304/4, the first inning lead already 484 and looking arguably beyond England's reach at this moment.
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