The China Mail - India's Gill hits another ton as tourists build huge lead over England

India were 304-4 in their second innings at tea on the fourth day, a huge lead of 484 runs.

Gill was 100 not out following his majestic 269 in the first innings.

By taking his tally in this match to 369 runs, Gill set a new record for the most runs scored in a Test by an India batsman, surpassing opening great Sunil Gavaskar's total of 344 against the West Indies at Port-of-Spain in 1971.

Together with Pant, who made a typically dashing 65, Gill shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 110 in just 103 balls.

Whether Gill, with India's attack missing the rested Jasprit Bumrah, the world's top-ranked Test bowler, declares, England would need to set a new record to go 2-0 up in this five-match series.

England's all-time record winning fourth-innings victory chase is the 378 they made against India at Edgbaston three years ago.

Gill was 24 not out at lunch, with Pant unbeaten on 41.

Yet it was Gill, who also made 147 during India's loss in the series opener at Headingley, who got to fifty first as he showed he could up the tempo.

In the second over of the session, he hit fast bowler Josh Tongue for three consecutive boundaries.

A superb hooked six was followed by a swiped four over mid-on in almost Pant-like fashion before Gill's scorching pull sped through England captain Ben Stokes, who got a hand to the ball but could not stop it.

Gill hooked another six off Tongue, the ball soaring over fine leg, before a flat-batted four off the paceman completed a 57-ball fifty. Tongue's six wicketless overs immediately after lunch cost an expensive 43 runs.

Gill was again leading from the front in his debut series as skipper after he was thrust into the captaincy following former skipper Rohit Sharma's shock retirement from Test duty in May.

The 25-year-old also moved to the number four slot previously occupied by India star Virat Kohli, who retired just days after Rohit.

Pant went to fifty before flaying a good length ball from Tongue for a six that extended India's lead to over 400 runs.

He later produced his falling sweep shot to hit a four over backward square leg against off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, who bowled unchanged between lunch and tea for 1-57 in 15 overs.

But next ball trying to launch Bashir, he lost control of his bat, which flew to midwicket while the ball went to deep mid-off -- where Ben Duckett made no mistake with the catch.

Pant faced just 58 balls, including eight fours and three sixes but the run rate slowed as new batsman Ravindra Jadeja took 68 balls for his 25 not out at tea.

India had resumed in overcast conditions on 64-1, a lead of 244 runs, after England reached 407 in their first innings, thanks almost entirely to an electric partnership of over 300 runs between Jamie Smith and Harry Brook.

Pant came in at 126-3, a not yet decisive lead of 306 runs, after KL Rahul was bowled for 55 by Tongue.

Pant took just four balls to straight-drive Tongue for a superb six.

Pant was reprieved on 10 when mid-off Zak Crawley dropped a routine catch off Stokes' bowling.

And he was missed again on 31 when a diving Chris Woakes dropped a tough low catch following a legside flick off Tongue.

jdg/pb

L.Johnson--ThChM