At the close of play on day two, England found themselves at 77 for three, and while they will draw some comfort from having Joe Root and Harry Brook still at the crease, there is little doubt that this day belonged squarely to India. It was a near-perfect display from the visitors, first amassing a mammoth total exceeding 550 runs, and then striking early blows with the ball to leave England under significant pressure.

Earlier in the day, India resumed their innings on 310 for five, having navigated through a slightly wobbly final session on day one where they lost Rishabh Pant and Nitish Reddy in quick succession. Those dismissals gave England a fleeting sense of optimism, especially considering the relatively modest batting credentials of India’s lower order. At that point, England might have entertained hopes of wrapping up the innings for something close to 400.

However, Shubman Gill’s sublime century, that was also his second in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries, completely shifted the balance. Displaying remarkable composure and technical finesse, Gill shepherded the tail and guided India past the 400-run mark that had seemed a distant prospect just the evening before. His innings was marked by elegant drives and confident strokeplay, underlining why he is increasingly viewed as the next batting torchbearer for India.