Team India etched its name in the record books on Saturday, piling up more than 1,000 runs in a single Test during the second match against England at Birmingham.
It was runs and records galore for Team India as the visitors managed 587 all out and 427/6 declared across both innings, making it only thTe sixth instance of a team scoring over 1,000 runs combined in a Test.
The highest remains England’s aggregate of 1,131 runs against the West Indies in 1930 at Kingston, scoring 849 and 272/9 declared in the third Test, which ended in a draw. The series also concluded in a 1-1 draw.
Coming to the match, England once again opted to field first. After getting KL Rahul (2) early, an 80-run stand between Yashasvi Jaiswal (87 in 107 balls, with 13 fours) and Karun Nair (31 in 50 balls, with five fours) helped India gain some footing. Skipper Shubman Gill stitched valuable partnerships of 203 runs with Ravindra Jadeja (89 in 137 balls, with 10 fours and a six) and a 144-run stand with Washington Sundar (42 in 103 balls, with three fours and a six), powering India to 587, with Gill himself scoring 269 off 387 balls, including 30 fours and three sixes.
Shoaib Bashir (3/167) was the pick of the bowlers for England, while Chris Woakes and Josh Tongue claimed two wickets each.
In England’s first innings, India had them on the ropes at 84/5. However, a 303-run stand between Harry Brook (158 in 234 balls, with 17 fours and a six) and wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith (184\* in 207 balls, with 21 fours and four sixes) made India toil hard in the field. Eventually, Siraj (6/70) and Akash Deep (4/88) made the new ball count and removed the last five wickets for just 20 runs, bowling England out for 407 and securing a 180-run lead.
India’s response was a swift half-century partnership between Jaiswal (28 in 22 balls, with six fours) and KL Rahul, who continued his good run with a boundary-laden 55 off 84 balls. A 110-run stand for the fourth wicket between Rishabh Pant (65 in 58 balls, with eight fours and three sixes) and Gill upped the attack, while Gill stitched yet another epic 175-run stand with Jadeja, scoring 161 off 162 balls, with 13 fours and eight sixes. Jadeja finished unbeaten on 69\* off 118 balls, with five fours and a six. India declared at 427/6, leading by 607 runs and setting England a mammoth target of 608 to win.
Only once has India set a higher fourth-innings target in a Test — 616 against New Zealand in Wellington in 2009. Only once has England been asked to chase a higher target in a home Test — 707 by Australia in the timeless Test at The Oval in 1934.
(ANI)
