Gill-inspired India leave England facing defeat

Second Rothesay Test, Edgbaston (day four of five)

India 587 & 427-6 dec: Gill 161, Jadeja 69*; Tongue 2-93

England 407 & 72-3: Pope 24*, Deep 2-36

England need 536 more runs to win

Scorecard

England lost three top-order wickets before the close as India surged towards victory in the second Test after their captain Shubman Gill's run-fest continued at Edgbaston.

Faced with the choice of batting for a draw or going after a chase of a near-impossible 608, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett and Joe Root all fell to leave the hosts 72-3 at the end of day four.

Crawley played a wild drive in the second over to be caught for a duck and Duckett hit five boundaries before being bowled by Akash Deep for a 15-ball 25.

The electric Deep, who has thrilled with the new-ball in his first Test in England, then struck the crucial blow by sensationally bowling Root for six.

England had been kept in the field until 90 minutes before the finish as Gill followed his epic 269 in the first innings with a dismissive 161 which allowed India to declare on 427-6.

He is the first player to record scores in excess of 250 and 150 in the same Test while his overall haul of 430 this week is the second-highest in Test history.

Despite the forecast of morning rain, Gill's side are now overwhelming favourites to secure the win on day five that would level this series at 1-1.

England, meanwhile, have an intriguing day ahead. That they do not play for draws has been one of the pillars of their cricket under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.

But now, for the first time under this regime, they are faced with a situation where a successful chase is almost certainly out of the question.

They have made 378, 373, 299, 296, 279 in the fourth innings to win under Stokes but the highest chase in Test history is 418.

That leaves the draw as their most likely way of preserving their series lead going to Lord's next week.

Gill's declaration came later than it could have – perhaps fearing England's ability to chase – but the tourists have still left themselves the option of the new ball after tea on day four.

While that weapon allowed Deep to find significant movement late on, when the ball has gone soft batting has looked far easier.

England's tactics may be even more interesting than the eventual result.

It had looked like Crawley was going to be more circumspect when he played three leaves through the first over, which was a maiden.

In the next, he slashed at a wide ball from Mohammed Siraj and was caught at backward point.

Duckett hit his first two deliveries for four and slashed two more boundaries on the cut. He was well beaten by the ball from Deep, which nipped in to flick the inside edge before rattling the stumps.

If that delivery was good, his to dismiss Root was great.

From wide on the crease, he angled the ball in and found movement away to beat the bat of the Yorkshireman who was turned around in his stance.

Ollie Pope ended the day 24 not out, again looking far more edgy than last week in Leeds when he began the series with a century. Harry Brook, who scored 158 in the first innings, is alongside him on 15 not out.

Ben Stokes is next in but has not scored a Test century for two years. Jamie Smith will follow on the back of his first-innings 184 not out.

India's lead was 244 when play resumed under cloudy skies with the floodlights on. Brydon Carse began with a good spell and, having seen one edge fly through the slips, eventually nicked off Karun Nair for 26.

But that only brought in Gill, who is in the form of his life.

Admittedly England were tired and the situation free of any pressure after he got himself in, but he batted in similarly controlled fashion to his epic 269 in the first innings.

When KL Rahul had his middle stump uprooted by Josh Tongue, Gill was joined by Pant who played extraordinary scoops and cuts with the ball, and his bat, flying to all parts.

Crawley dropped Pant when the left-hander drilled to mid-on on 11 but it may not have mattered. India were already 321 ahead.

On 31 he swung so hard the bat flew from his hand. The same happened on 65 and, while the bat landed at mid-wicket, the ball ended up in the hands of long-off.

Throughout it all, Gill remained serene, adding a further 175 with Jadeja. He hardly offered a chance, reached his third hundred of the tour in 129 deliveries and his 150 by hitting a towering leg-side six.

Gill has 585 across two matches in the series, his first two Tests as skipper. On Sunday he may well have his first victory as India's Test captain.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan: "If you want to win the big series against the likes of India at home in five matches and you want to go to Australia, I think it's impossible to have a mindset that we just win, that's all we go for. We don't play for draws.

"A draw for England from this position, it's almost better than last week's win because it's completely against their natural instinct."

Ex-England bowler Steven Finn: "England have been thoroughly outplayed by India outside of that partnership [between Harry Brook and Jamie Smith] where the wicket did go flat.

"As a bowler I look at the way India made the most of every opportunity they had with the new ball. Right from that first morning after it went flat after 20 overs, we knew the new ball would be critical every time it turned up. Every time India had the new ball in their hand they've made the most of it."