Leading from the front: Shubman Gill scores fighting ton in Manchester
The start of the second innings against a mammoth lead of 311 could not have been any worse than going 0/2 for the visitors. After toiling hard against England across two days in the Manchester Test, India finally reclaimed the chance to bat on Day 4 against a total of 669. The start was shambolic, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan departing off consecutive deliveries from Chris Woakes. The shaky beginning, however, was rectified by opener KL Rahul and captain Shubman Gill. While Rahul departed short of a ton on the final day of the fourth India vs England Test, Gill fought his way to another century in the series.
Shubman Gill fights his way to a century in the Manchester Test
The visitors rounded off Day 4 at 174 for 2 as KL Rahul and Shubman Gill cleaned up after the mini-collapse in the opening over. The senior batter and the young captain held strongly to push England back. While a win remains out of sight, the 174-run partnership ensured that the guests remained alive in the contest and in the series overall. Day 5 witnessed Ben Stokes fighting against cramps but still producing impactful spells. The skipper claimed KL Rahul at 90 in the first session, finally putting an end to the partnership for the third wicket at 188.
While Rahul departed just short of a ton, Shubman Gill stood tall. The skipper was hit on his finger by a delivery from Stokes. Looking in severe pain, the Indian captain received on-field assistance for the blow that also chipped off a part of his helmet in its trajectory. The body blows or the uneven bounce of the Old Trafford surface, however, didn’t perturb the 25-year-old much. Batting against Chris Woakes on the last delivery of the 83rd over, the captain cruised to his fourth ton in the India vs England series.
Four centuries in the India vs England series: Gill tops record-charts in Manchester
Overall, the century marked Gill’s 9th in the longer format. The ton in the Manchester Test, moreover, led to Gill toppling record charts, a trend that has run parallel to the ongoing series. With this century, Gill matched the likes of Sunil Gavaskar and Virat Kohli as the player with the most hundreds for India in a Test series. Furthermore, Gill drew level with the legendary Don Bradman and Gavaskar as the captain with the most hundreds in a Test series. Both Bradman and Gavaskar have four each to their name.
The hundred by Shubman Gill came at a crucial moment for the visitors. While a victory is a far cry, even a draw here would help India avoid a defeat in the five-match series. As the visitors fend for chances of survival in the India vs England series, Gill’s first stint as the Test captain has proved exceptionally impressive for the batter. The youngster became the first-ever player to hit four centuries in his debut series as captain. Gill also eclipsed Yashasvi Jaiswal as the Indian batsman with the most runs against England in a Test series. In another significant milestone, Gill became the first Indian player in 35 years, after Sachin Tendulkar, to smash a century in Manchester.
While it was a brilliant stand, Shubman Gill could not survive until the second session on Day 5 of the Manchester Test. Though the Indian skipper survived a close call against Woakes, Gill departed off an edge to Jofra Archer at 103. Lunch followed Gill’s departure as India trailed by 88 runs with Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar in the middle. The visitors have held Rishabh Pant back, but the batsman has been confirmed to bat despite his injury if the situation demands. England still need six wickets to win, while India have the chance to clinch a draw in Manchester.
