2nd Test: England's batters should look at Gill's innings for making lots of runs, says Butcher

IANS July 4, 2025 338 views

Former England cricketer Mark Butcher has urged the hosts to take inspiration from Shubman Gill's marathon 269-run knock. England trail by 510 runs after ending day two at 77-3, with Brook and Root at the crease. Bashir remains hopeful despite a grueling bowling effort against India's strong batting display. The pitch is still good for batting, though minor cracks are starting to appear.

"England's batters should look at Gill's innings - play tight and then make plenty of runs." - Mark Butcher
2nd Test: England's batters should look at Gill's innings for making lots of runs, says Butcher
Birmingham, July 4: Former England cricketer Mark Butcher believes if England decide to score big runs on day three of the second Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test, they should look to emulate what was done by India skipper Shubman Gill, who hit a masterly career-best score of 269.

Key Points

1

Butcher highlights Gill's 269 as a blueprint for England's chase

2

Brook and Root face uphill task after England slump to 77-3

3

Bashir remains optimistic despite tough bowling spell

4

Pitch conditions remain favorable for batting despite minor cracks

Harry Brook (30 not out) and Joe Root (18 not out) took England to 77-3 at stumps and trail India by 510 runs, after Gill’s magnificent knock took the visitors to 587.

"There is a patch of rough for the spinners but it is very minimal and not particularly inviting for the bowler. It is a little on the full side. England's batters should look at Gill's innings - play tight and then make plenty of runs."

"It is a good deck and should be a good day. It is slightly cooler with a breeze from the west but the surface hasn't changed a great deal. There is a bit of linear cracking starting to appear down the middle but I don't think that will have much of an impact," said Butcher on Sky Sports’ broadcast ahead of day three’s play.

England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, who bowled 45 overs and took 3-167, sounded upbeat about the mood in the dressing room after being made to toil hard by Gill.

"It was a tough day yesterday, due to a lot of toil and hard work. But I think the mood's alright. We have Rooty and Brooky, two of the best batters in the world in my opinion at the moment, and we are backing them to do what they do best. We are excited to see what today brings."

Asked about his bowling form in the series so far, Bashir said, “I feel really good actually. I feel in quite control of what I'm trying to do. I've been working on a few things, building up into this Test series. I feel like my consistency is getting a bit better. Again, the more I bowl, the more experience I'll get. That's what I've been working on.”

Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As an England supporter, I must admit Gill played brilliantly. But our Bazball approach is different - we prefer attacking cricket even if it means taking risks. Different philosophies!
A
Ananya R
Bashir bowled 45 overs and took 3 wickets? That's some serious workload for a young spinner! Respect for his effort though Gill made him toil hard 😅
V
Vikram M
Butcher is right about the pitch - it's still good for batting. England have Root and Brook who can definitely make big scores if they apply themselves like Gill did. Exciting day ahead!
K
Karan T
While Gill's innings was excellent, I wish our middle order had capitalized more. We should've crossed 650 with that start. Hope this doesn't come back to haunt us later in the match!
M
Michael C
Test cricket at its best! This is why I love the format - proper batting displays like Gill's 269 are becoming rare in this T20 era. Hope the youngsters watching learn from this innings.

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