Batters sometimes hit a wall, an invisible repelling force that simply refuses to yield. There perhaps can’t be a worse feeling than that. And then, sometimes, batters hit a purple patch. When they can’t stop scoring, when they make run-making appear the easiest proposition. No prizes for guessing in which category Shubman Gill currently falls. 

India’s Captain Fantastic breezed to a third century in his first four innings in his new job description, another magnificent compilation during which he burned a zillion records. Gill’s fluid 161, which took his tally for the match to 430 (only Graham Gooch with 456 has made more runs in a Test match), was the bedrock around which India constructed another magnificent edifice on Saturday, an edifice that will allow them to realistically entertain hopes of a series-levelling victory on Sunday’s day five of the second Test. 

England will definitely rue their decision to field first a million days back when Ben Stokes won his second toss in a row. Perhaps they did earlier, when India amassed 587 in the first innings, but after the visitors backed it up with 427 for six declared a second time around, tired limbs and fried minds would have populated the home dressing room.