Edgbaston: His unbeaten 142, combined with aggressive partnerships and a dominant batting display, has left England staring at an uphill task of chasing 608 runs to win.

Shubman Gill continued his dream run with the bat on Saturday, scoring his third century in four innings and becoming the highest Indian run-scorer in a single Test, surpassing Sunil Gavaskar’s 344-run milestone from 1971. His 142 not out came on the back of a double century in the first innings, underlining a sensational turnaround in form and intent.

Gill’s second century of the match came just before tea, in a session that saw India accelerate, adding 127 runs in 30 overs. He shared a solid 110-run partnership with Rishabh Pant, who played an explosive 65 off 58 balls, and later built an unbeaten 147-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja, who is batting on 58.

Earlier in the day, KL Rahul contributed a fluent 55 before falling to Josh Tongue, while Karun Nair made a gritty 26 despite being struck on the helmet by a Brydon Carse bouncer. Though he passed a concussion check, he was soon dismissed.

Gill’s authoritative strokeplay after lunch — including two sixes off Tongue over fine leg and his control over the spinners — was instrumental in pushing India to 389/4 at stumps. His celebration was muted, reflecting the focus on sealing a series-levelling win for India.

With England needing 608 runs on the final day, India stand firmly in control, thanks to a batting masterclass led by Gill and backed by Pant and Jadeja.