Birmingham, July 5— India seized complete control of the Edgbaston Test on Sunday, declaring their second innings at 427/6 and leaving England with an improbable 608-run target heading into the final day.
Shubman Gill starred yet again, scoring a sublime 161 to add to his monumental 269 from the first innings, surpassing Sunil Gavaskar’s record for the most runs by an Indian in a single Test match. KL Rahul (66), Rishabh Pant (58), and Ravindra Jadeja (54*) provided vital contributions to propel India’s total in the second innings.
In reply, England faltered early and reached stumps at 58/3. Young pacer Akash Deep impressed, dismissing both Ben Duckett and Joe Root, while Mohammed Siraj accounted for the third wicket, leaving England staring at an enormous task.
India’s bowlers will now look to close out the match swiftly on Day 5. England faces the uphill task of either surviving three sessions for a draw or achieving a record-breaking chase. No team has ever successfully chased over 600 in Test history.
With the pitch showing mild signs of wear and no rain forecast, India remains firmly in the driver’s seat.
