Shubman Gill, who scored a century, feels India could have set England a bigger score to chase down despite setting a record victory target of 399 on day three of the second Test at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.
The highest fourth-innings target successfully chased against India is England’s 378 at Edgbaston in 2022, and the most successful in India was when the hosts got 387 against England in 2008.
Spinners Tom Hartley and Ahmed combined to bowl out India for 255 after Gill’s 104 on a day of bowling and fielding brilliance.
India suffered early blows thanks to a brilliant spell from James Anderson as Gill stabilised the innings after a stunning catch by captain Ben Stokes.
Gill hit his third Test ton, and first in his 12 innings since March 2023, to pull India out from 122-4 with two key stands including 89 runs with Axar Patel.
“Definitely very pleased but I left a bit out there to be honest,” Gill told JioCinema after the end of the day’s play.
He reached the hundred with a single off debutant spinner Shoaib Bashir and raised his bat to a cheering crowd.
He soon attempted a reverse sweep and departed when Bashir got him caught behind, a dismissal that was turned down by the umpire but replays showed the ball grazed the batsman’s glove before wicketkeeper Ben Foakes took a sharp catch.
Gill had two lucky escapes on four, both close lbw calls and one successfully reviewed, but then batted fluently with his flicks and drives until his exit.
“The first one I didn’t feel it (inside edge onto pad). Shreyas told me to take it in case it’s umpire’s call. I saw the point fielder go there and I thought it was a percentage shot,” Gill explained.
“Should’ve just played the 5-6 overs till tea. Pretty decent wicket to bat on. Not an easy kind of wicket to hit on the rise. Have to apply yourself because the odd one is turning and odd one is keeping low,” he added.
England kept chipping away, as Hartley, who returned figures of 4-77 with his left-arm spin, sent back Axar for 45 to leave India six down by tea.
When asked about his dismissal, Gill said he will know what his father thought about it when he goes back to the hotel.
“I think so (getting pulled up by his father for that shot that got him out). I’ll get to know once I get back to the hotel but I think so. He comes for most of my games, there’s no such pressure,”
England, who lead the five-match series 1-0, reached 67-1 at stumps after opener Ben Duckett fell for 28. Left-hander Duckett put on an attacking 50-run stand with fellow opener Zak Crawley, batting on 29, before Ravichandran Ashwin got him out for his 497th Test wicket.
Rehan Ahmed, on nine, joined Crawley with England needing another 332 for victory.
Gill said the game is titled in favour of the hosts: “I think it’s 70-30 at the moment. Morning session will be key. We’ve seen there is moisture in the morning and help for fast bowlers and spinners.”
(With inputs from Agencies)
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