&w=3840&q=100)
Shubman Gill smashes records with majestic 269 as India seize control against England at Edgbaston
India captain Shubman Gill receives a standing ovation from the crowd at Edgbaston after getting dismissed on 269 on Day 2 of the second Test against England. Reuters
Shubman Gill earned himself a place in the pantheon of Indian batting heavyweights with a near flawless and record-breaking double hundred, giving his team complete control of the second Test against England in Birmingham on Thursday. Gill's monumental 269 off 387 balls in his debut series as Test captain allowed India to post a massive 587 all out before the inexperienced Indian pace attack delivered upfront to dismantle England top-order to reduce the hosts to 77 for three at stumps on day two.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Joe Root (18 batting off 37) and Harry Brook (30 batting off 53) settled the nerves in the England dressing room after the hosts lost three wickets for 25 runs.
While England bowlers got no help from the surface, the Indians found swing and seam.
Playing his first game of the series, Akash Deep struck twice in as many balls to cap off a perfect day for his team before Mohammed Siraj made it even better by having Zak Crawley caught at first slip.
Akash got the ball to seam away on both the occasions, resulting in dismissals of the dangerous Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope in his second over.
Pope's was a rather loose shot as he tried to play the moving ball towards mid-wicket. In Duckett's case, Gill was also a major contributor, taking a sharp catch at third slip.
But the day was truly ruled by Gill, who collected 30 fours and three sixes on way to a record shattering double ton, making him the highest individual scorer for India in England ahead of Sunil Gavaskar and Rahul Dravid.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
He also became the first Asian captain to amass a double hundred on these shores.
For someone who had expressed his desire to be the best batter of the series, he is well on course to meet his target.
In a matter of three innings in England, the 25-year-old has managed to improve his average to 40 from mid 30s at the start of the series.
At the break, England had run out of ideas to stop Gill, who forged a 144-run alliance with Washington Sundar (42 off 103) to prop up India to 564 for seven.
Beyond the numbers, what makes Gill's feat remarkable is that the high profile series is his first as Test captain.
He has also made the number four his own following the retirement of Virat Kohli. Having hardly put a foot wrong with the bat, Gill also ensured that India did not cede the advantage to England from a strong position like they had done in Leeds in the series opener.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
With England short ball ploy not working and Shoaib Bashir being taken to the cleaners by Gill, England brought part timers Brook and Root in a desperate attempt to fetch wickets.
The skipper collected five boundaries off Brook while Washington Sundar (42) held his ground at the other hand.
The left-hander, who has played ahead of Kuldeep Yadav, was peppered by some short stuff from Josh Tongue before deciding to take the bait and pulling him over fine leg.
Gill was stuck on 199 for a while but the moment finally arrived when Gill pulled Tongue for a single towards fine leg.
His celebrations showed how much the effort meant to him as the opposition and the England fans duly applauded the special knock.
Though he could not fetch a possible 300, getting jettisoned by Tongue soon after tea.
In the morning session, England pacers were not able extract much from the surface as Gill and Ravindra Jadeja (89 off 137) made the most of the ideal batting conditions with a 203-run stand off 279 balls.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
India added 109 runs to the total in 25 overs after resuming the day at 310 for five.
England had resorted to the short ball plan against Gill and Jadeja but that did not work the major part of the morning session.
Tongue finally got the much-needed breakthrough late in the session with a short ball that Jadeja could not control to be caught by wicket-keeper Jamie Smith.
Amid bright sunshine at Edgbaston, Jadeja resumed his innings with a crisp backfoot punch through the cover and a cut off Stokes.
Gill got his first boundary of the day in third man region before cover driving Chris Woakes.
It was surprising to see Gill play the reverse sweep off spinner Bashir.
Later in the session, Gill also swept Bashir for a six behind square. Jadeja too got into the act and stepped out to smash Bashir for a maximum over mid on.
Ben Stokes set an interesting field when Sundar joined Gill in the middle, employing a leg slip and two close in fielders on the leg-side.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
26 minutes ago
- First Post
Dravid salutes Rohit's captaincy amid questions over the Hitman's future as leader: 'He deeply cared about the team'
Rohit Sharma had formed a successful captain-coach combination with Rahul Dravid from late 2021 to the summer of 2024, the pair mastermind India's triumph at last year's T20 World Cup as well as their runner-up finish at the 2023 ICC World Cup during this period. Indian batting legend Rahul Dravid heaped praise on Rohit Sharma for his leadership, describing the 'Hitman' as someone who 'deeply cared about the team'. Rohit and Dravid had formed a successful captain-coach combination after Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri from late 2021 to the summer of 2024. The pair had masterminded India's triumph at last year's T20 World Cup along with their runner-up finish in the 2023 ICC World Cup on home soil, with the Men in Blue also winning the 2023 Asia Cup during this period. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'It was really good. Firstly, the thing with Rohit that I always felt was that he deeply cared about the team, and he was very clear about it,' Dravid told spin legend Ravichandran Ashwin on his YouTube show 'Kutti Stories with Ash'. 'Right from the first day, he was very clear about how he wanted to run the team and what was important to him. And that's really important in any relationship between a captain and a coach, especially the way I coach. 'I always like to believe that it should be the captain's team. I've been a player, and I've been a captain as well, but a captain has to lead in terms of the direction he wants to go in, and you have to support him and help him in that,' added Dravid, who captained India on a full-time basis from 2005 to 2007. Rohit's clarity and understanding made my job easier, says Dravid Dravid, who joined Rajasthan Royals as their head coach after his stint with the Indian team concluded with the T20 World Cup in the US and the Caribbean last June, added the Rohit's clarity regarding his role made his job as head coach much easier. 'Of course, you sometimes need to help a captain in terms of getting that clarity and understanding what is required. But with Rohit, I thought he was very clear about what he wanted from the team—how he wanted the environment to be, how he wanted the atmosphere to be, and how he wanted things to run.' 'He had so much experience over the years, and that really helped. He was very clear on those things,' Dravid added. Rohit, who has retired from Twenty20 Internationals and Test cricket, would go on to lead the Men in Blue to victory in the Champions Trophy in March, helping India win back-to-back ICC events after reaching a third consecutive final. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The 38-year-old has expressed his desire to lead India in the 2027 ICC World Cup, although his age along with young batting star Shubman Gill's rise as captain has put a question mark on that for now.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
2 hours ago
- First Post
11 ISL clubs urge senior lawyers assisting Supreme Court to bring attention to their crisis ahead of AIFF-FSDL hearing
The letter from the ISL clubs came a day before an Supreme Court hearing of the case on Friday. Amici curiae Gopal Sankaranarayanan and Samar Bansal had earlier mentioned the matter on Monday before the SC which posted the matter for Friday. Mumbai City FC and Bengaluru FC are among the 11 clubs that have written to the two senior lawyers assisting the Supreme Court in the ongoing AIFF-FSDL hearing. PTI Eleven Indian Super League clubs on Thursday urged the two senior lawyers assisting the Supreme Court in a pending case to bring to its notice the existential crisis they are facing due to uncertainty over the ISL's future and the 'urgency of pronouncing judgment at the earliest'. The letter from the ISL clubs came a day before an SC hearing of the case on Friday. Amici curiae Gopal Sankaranarayanan and Samar Bansal had earlier mentioned the matter on Monday before the SC which posted the matter for Friday. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Given that football clubs (across entire pyramid), their players, employees, and stakeholders are the most directly and immediately affected by the current standstill in Indian football, we have no option but to approach your good selves, as officers of the Hon'ble Court, to humbly request that our concerns be placed before the Ld. Bench,' the letter stated. More from Football 'The urgency of pronouncing judgment at the earliest, given football calendar is at a standstill across pyramid; any consequential directions flowing from the judgment be directed to be completed in a time-bound (15–30 days), to restore certainty at the earliest,' the clubs wrote. 'In the event the present proceedings are to go on beyond August 22, 2025, the processes related to conducting the leagues and any ancillary operations may be allowed and expedited so that a long-term constructive solution for all parties may be obtained at the earliest,' the clubs wrote, while mentioning that they are not parties to the case. The eleven ISL clubs which signed the letter are Bengaluru FC, Hyderabad FC, Odisha FC, Chennaiyin FC, Jamshedpur FC, FC Goa, Kerala Blasters FC, Punjab FC, NorthEast United FC, Mumbai City FC and Mohammedan Sporting. The same 11 clubs had earlier warned All India Football Federation (AIFF) that they face the possibility of shutting down entirely due to uncertainty over the ISL's future. The crisis surfaced after FSDL, the ISL organisers as well as AIFF's commercial partner, put the 2025-26 season 'on hold' on July 11 due to uncertainty over the renewal of Master Rights Agreement (MRA), prompting at least three clubs to either pause first-team operations or suspend player and staff salaries. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The current MRA, signed in 2010 between FSDL and AIFF, ends on December 8. The AIFF gets Rs 50 crore annually from FSDL under the MRA. In the letter, the clubs said with no clarity on the ISL, the revenues of the clubs have been severely affected and their survival faced immediate threat, jeopardising the livelihoods of thousands engaged in the football ecosystem – players, staff, vendors, service providers. 'Even one season's disruption would erode the trust of fans, sponsors, investors, and international federations, undoing more than a decade's progress.' The ISL clubs said they have invested hundreds of crores of rupees into youth academies, training facilities, stadium upgrades, and professional squads, creating a robust footballing structure. 'The ISL now sustains the majority of professional football players in India, providing more than 400 full-time player contracts annually, besides developmental pathways for youth and grassroots players. 'It is respectfully submitted that a league of this calibre cannot be assembled at the last minute and requires long-term buy-in to obtain best possible deals. Broadcast agreements, sponsorship deals, player registrations, and logistical arrangements ideally require long-term buy-in and stability, and even thereafter approximately 6–8 weeks of advance certainty to implement every season. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Therefore, the current delay has already placed us in a situation where any further delays may cause irreparable harm and there is an urgent need for certainty in the greater interest of the entire football ecosystem, including clubs, players, staff, and all other stakeholders.' They said that the loss of even a single ISL season would have catastrophic and irreversible consequences for Indian football as a whole – including the well-being of the players and staff associated with the sport, the professional league structure including the I-League and lower divisions, grassroots academies, and other football competitions – all of which depend on the stability of the top-tier competition. Current deadlock The clubs also submitted that 'this deadlock has indirectly arisen in the present case because there is, as we understand, a verbal stay/injunction on any discussions in relation to the MRA effective April 30, 2025'. 'This has created an anomalous situation where no resolution or forward planning for the 2025–26 season and beyond can take place. As matters stand, there is no certainty beyond 8 December 2025, when the current commercial partner demits its term. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'At that point in the calendar, ordinarily less than a quarter of the season would have been completed, leaving the league and, by extension, the wider pyramid in complete limbo. For the entire footballing system, it is also crucial that a long-term, stable solution is arrived at urgently. 'Clubs have multi-year sponsorships and contractual commitments, and several sponsors have already withdrawn due to the prevailing uncertainty. 'No commercial partner can be expected to invest or commit resources under an interim arrangement or for short term, given sheer scale and complexity of organizing a tournament like ISL and securing long-term broadcast and sponsorship partnerships. Therefore, it is imperative the current proceedings be expedited to provide necessary certainty for the league.'
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Sinquefield Cup: Gukesh held by Sevian, Praggnanandhaa draws with Abdusattorov
World champion D Gukesh was held to a draw by the lone wild card Samuel Sevian of United States, while fellow Indian R Praggnanandhaa also split the point with Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan in the third round of the Sinquefield Cup here. With his second draw in as many days, Praggnanadhaa remained in the leading group of three players that now include Fabiano Caruana of United States besides the overnight co-leader Armenian-turned-American Levon Aronian. Caruana handed Alireza Firouzja of France his first loss in the tournament in the lone decisive game of the day. Aronian was held to a draw by Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France, while another American Wesley So split the point with Duda Jan-Kryzsztof of Poland. With six rounds still to come in the $3,75,000 prize money tournament, Praggnanadhaa, Aronian and Caruana share the lead on two points each and they are now followed by Wesley, Firouzja, Vachier-Lagrave, Sevian and Gukesh -- who all stand a half point behind. Duda is next in line on one point, while Abdusattorov opened his account to be on a half point from his first three outings here. For Gukesh, first draw in the tournament was rather easy with black pieces. Samuel Sevian tried his hands at the Rosslimo variation against the Sicilian defense but Gukesh was always in control. The middle game arrived and passed smoothly as both players exchanged pieces at regular intervals leading to a drawn endgame. Praggnanandhaa played his first black after two white games and chose the Nimzo-Indian defence wherein Abdusattorov, struggling to find his form, could not get much. The players reached an opposite coloured Bishops endgame where the draw was a just result. It could have been an uneventful day but for Caruana who played a fine positional game to outwit Firouzja. The Fianchetto variation against the Nimzo gave Caruana a spatial advantage as his pieces stood better in the middle game and after a fine grind the American pushed his central passed pawn to the seventh rank for the desired effect. With the top four places in the Grand chess tour at stake for the grand finale later this year, Caruana seemed pleased with his victory. The American observed that Vachier-Lagrave has almost qualified and the rest of the bunch is fighting for the last spots. Results round 3: Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzb, 0.5) drew with R Praggnanandhaa (Ind, 2) Fabiano Caruana (Usa, 2) beat Alireza Firouzja (Fra, 1.5); Duda Jan Kryzstof (Pol, 1) drew with Wesley So (Usa, 1.5); Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Fra, 1.5) drew with Levon Aronian (Usa, 1.5) Samuel Sevian (Usa, 1.5) drew with D Gukesh (Ind, 1.5).
