It was another dominant day for India at Edgbaston. Led by their captain Shubman Gill, India stretched their lead to gigantic proportions over 600 runs before the bowlers struck thrice in the last hour and 10 minutes meaning India will require 7 more wickets to win the Test while England requires an improbable 536 runs on the final day. Draw is also possible with weather and the type of pitch available still aiding the batters.
India started cautiously on Day 4 with KL Rahul and Karun Nair playing out good English bowling under overcast conditions. Nair eventually fell for 26 while Rahul completed his fifty before being cleaned up by Joshua Tongue.
Rishabh Pant gave energy to the innings with his 65 off 58 balls while Ravindra Jadeja was playing an odd innings before remaining unbeaten on 69 off 118 balls. But amidst all this Shubman Gill stood like a rock and mixed caution with aggression scoring 161 off 162 balls with 13 fours and 8 sixes to his name and meant India finally declared at 427/6 in 83 overs setting England 608 to win.
In reply, England lost Zak Crawley for a duck to Mohammed Siraj while Ben Duckett went for a quickfire 25 off 15 balls to Akash Deep. Akash struck a major blow towards the end by getting rid of Joe Root who is England’s best batter for 6 off 16 balls by cleaning him up.
Ollie Pope has played himself in batting on 24* off 44 balls alongside Harry Brook who is on 15* off 15 balls as England finished the day at 72/3 in 16 overs. Akash Deep has got a couple of wickets while Siraj has one to his name while we saw three relatively decent overs from Prasidh Krishna. An India win or draw looks likely at this point.
KL Rahul falls after scoring fifty; Shubman Gill & Rishabh Pant solidify India’s advantage in morning session.Â
India started cautiously under overcast conditions with England bowling good lines and lengths. KL Rahul and Karun Nair played cautiously according to the merit of the ball. Karun got a few lucky boundaries away through the slip cordon while Rahul also had a minor scare. But things were not very alarming for India.
It was Brydon Carse who got the breakthrough getting Karun Nair out for 26 off 46 balls with India at 96/2 with Shubman Gill the captain coming out to bat. KL Rahul looked assured at the crease and completed yet another half-century. But he was clean bowled for 55 by Joshua Tongue as India were 126/3 at this stage.
Rishabh Pant entered the arena and started his pyro techniques of unsettling the bowlers and playing unconventional shots. He rode his luck when he was dropped on 10 by Zak Crawley at mid-off off the bowling of Ben Stokes. But he was in no mood to slow down while Gill was watchful at the other end.
Both captain and vice-captain complimented each other well as England struggled with the old ball on a pitch which has hardly supported the bowlers. Pant was 31 off 19 balls at one point but slowed down a tad towards the end. When Lunch was taken, India took their score to 177/3 in 38 overs with Shubman Gill on 24* off 41 balls while Rishabh Pant was on 41* off 35 balls at this stage. India scored 113 runs for the loss of two wickets in that session of 25 overs.
Rishabh Pant falls after aggressive fifty; Shubman Gill and Ravindra Jadeja take control in the afternoon session.Â
India came out all guns blazing after Lunch especially in the first half hour or so. Pant was aggressive and even Gill switched gears as the shot ball theory did not work from Joshua Tongue to Gill as runs started to flow similar to Day 3 when Smith and Brook tore apart India’s short ball theory.
India rattled along and added quick runs in the first part of the session. Both the batters completed their fifties and just as everything was going well for India a wicket fell against the run of play as Shoaib Bashir got rid of Rishabh Pant for the second time in the game. He fell for 65 off 58 balls with 8 fours and 3 sixes to his name. India were 236/4 at this stage when there was a change in the batting order.
Ravindra Jadeja was promoted up the order ahead of Nitish Kumar Reddy and he played a strange innings before the Tea Break. While Gill played his natural game of scoring, Jadeja decided to take time out of the game by defending balls. The runs did not dry up totally for India but the tactics really surprised many where India could have carried on the momentum fully. From time to time he hit boundaries, but was largely cautious.
Just before Tea, Shubman Gill made history and followed his double hundred in the first innings with another ton in the second innings. Gill also slowed down when in the 90s which was natural, but Jadeja’s approach surprised us. But it was all about Gill and entering multiple record books.
Soon, India crossed the 300-run mark and Tea was taken with India at 304/4 in 68 overs. Shubman Gill was batting exactly on 100* off 130 balls while Ravindra Jadeja was with him on 25* off 68 balls. The lead had grown to 484 at this stage as India added 127 runs in 30 overs for the loss of one wicket in the session of play as England players looked tired and jaded out in the middle.
India adds quick runs to take the lead past 600; England lose 3 before the close of play.Â
With so many runs in front, India as expected switched gears post the Tea Break. Ravindra Jadeja changed gears as he started to take down bowlers and show intent while Gill did the same as India rattled along in the early exchanges of the session. The question was when will declaration come and India delayed it a little bit which might come back to haunt them if they do not win. No bowler of England was spared as Jadeja reached his fifty off 94 balls as he completed twin fifties in the match.
Shubman Gill continued his assault as well and reached 150 as joining an elite list of players with a double hundred in first innings and 150 in the second innings. He was playing in T20 mode and eventually the marathon innings was over and ended by Bashir. He fell for 161 off 162 balls as India carried on batting.
Nitish Kumar Reddy came and while trying to play a big shot was dismissed for 1. Washington Sundar came in and played a few delightful shots. The lead crossed 600 now as India batted on. After batting for an hour after Tea, India decided to declare at 427/6 in 83 overs setting England a gigantic 608 to win on the fourth innings. Jadeja remained unbeaten on 69 off 118 balls along with Sundar on 12* off 7 balls. 10 extras given by England bowlers.
For England, it was a hard toil with limited success for them. A couple of wickets apiece for Shoaib Bashir and Joshua Tongue while Brydon Carse and Joe Root got a wicket each as well. India had about an hour and 20 minutes crack at England hoping to make inroads with the new ball.
Chasing 608 for an unlikely win, England lost Zak Crawley for a duck to Mohammed Siraj as he drove a full length delivery straight to backward point where Sai Sudharsan took the catch as a substitute fielder. India wasted two reviews as well in overexcitement and that might come back to haunt them later on.
Ben Duckett was hell-bent in playing his shots and got the scoreboard ticking. But his innings did not last long as he fell for 25 off 15 balls. Akash Deep with a beauty coming back in and knocking the stumps over to leave England at 30/2 and in a spot of bother.
England’s best batter Joe Root joined Ollie Pope in the middle and it was a troubled stay for Root. He survived a close LBW call as India wasted a DRS the second that they did on him. Ollie Pope got an under edge from Krishna but the ball did not carry to Pant.
Later in the 11th over, Akash Deep bowled a lovely pitched up delivery angling in and straightened, Root looked to flick it away leg side and played all around it. He played the wrong line and the ball passed the outside edge to rattle the stumps. England were reduced to 50/3 in 10.2 overs.
Harry Brook joined Ollie Pope in the middle and the duo played out the remaining overs and time adding 22 runs to take the score to 72/3 in 16 overs. They played their shots as well and got 13 off the final over of the day bowled by Akash Deep as runs kept coming for England despite the wickets lost. Pope is batting on 24* off 44 balls while Brook is batting on 15* off 15 balls when stumps were called. India on top at the end of the day’s play.
What Lies Ahead
After dominating 4 days of this Test match, can India close the deal and level the series? It will be historic because India has never won at Edgbaston before. India require 7 more wickets in a possible 90 overs while England needs an improbable 536 runs on the final day to shatter record books and get the win. A draw is possible with weather around, rain is expected in Birmingham today. India will be hoping it stays away.
Can India do it and complete the win? Or will England hang on for a draw or go for the win as well. All will depend on how Day 5 pans out. An intriguing day is ahead of us. The pitch is good to bat on still. Hoping the weather stays away and we get a full day’s of play today.
Also Read: ENG vs IND: Jamie Smith’s Thunderstorm Ton Sets Stage On Fire