VISAKHAPATNAM, India (AP) and Staff Writer: Shubman Gill returned to form in a grand style in the second Test between India and England. He hit a hundred in the second innings of the game, leading the Indian team to a strong position.
He faced 132 balls and hit 11 fours and 2 sixes to reach the three-figure mark after a long time.
Gill was unbeaten on 100, keeping India afloat as it was reduced to 130-4 in its second innings, with veteran pacer James Anderson picking up 2-15 to peg the hosts back.
He had Axar Patel for company, who was batting on 33.
Starting from overnight 28-0, India looked drive home its advantage on the morning of day three.
Anderson though had other plans as he clean bowled Rohit Sharma (13) with the 10th ball of the morning.
The pacer got first innings’ double centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal shortly after, with the young opener caught at first slip for 17 to have India at 30-2 .
Gill survived two close calls within seven deliveries. First, he seemed to have struck the ball just as it hit his pad and escaped an lbw call off Tom Hartley. Then, the umpire’s call went in his favour as Anderson reviewed for another lbw appeal.
He settled down thereafter and played some handsome strokes, including eight fours and a six. He added 81 runs for the third wicket with Shreyas Iyer, who was also fighting a poor run of form.
Iyer scored 29 runs, hitting two fours, but it was Gill who took charge. The 24-year-old reached 50 off 77 balls – his first half-century since shifting down the order in the Caribbean last July.
Gill’s last 50-plus score was 128 against Australia in Ahmedabad. Since then, in 12 innings, his highest was 36 against South Africa in December, before crossing 50 in the second innings here.
Ben Stokes pulled off a sensational catch to bring an abrupt end to their partnership. Iyer went for six against Hartley in the 31st over, with the English skipper running back to claim a diving catch at long off.
It became a double blow as Rajat Patidar was caught behind off Rehan Ahmed. The ball stayed low and Ben Foakes collected a sharp low catch to send the debutant back for nine.
Gill and Patel then negotiated the remaining play before lunch.
India had taken a 143-run lead in the first innings after bowling out England for 253 runs on day two. Jasprit Bumrah picked up 6-45 for his best bowling return in India. The hosts had scored 396 runs after opting to bat, thanks to Jaiswal’s 209.