Magnificent Gill makes weary England pay

TIME IN FIELD TAKES A TOLL

- Mike Walters

BOWLERS cooked after 151 overs of hard labour and the top three’s brains fried by two days chasing leather.

There you go, Ben — that is why bowling first was such a huge risk.

England captain Ben Stokes had the last laugh after choosing the thrill of the chase at Headingley, but this time it has backfired like an old banger’s exhaust.

After Shubman Gill’s mammoth 269, the highest Test score by an India captain, ushered his side to a monster 587 all out, England were rocking at 25-3 in reply before reaching the close on 77-3 at Edgbaston.

There is a reason why, in 327 previous Tests where a side has conceded more than 500 in the first innings of the match, only nine have resulted in victory for teams batting second.

It is because the odds are stacked against miracles.