‌India declared their second batting essay in the final session of the fourth day of the second Test against England after making a formidable 427/6 at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Saturday. Captain Shubman Gill once again led from the front with a commanding 161 while his deputy Rishabh Pant scored a quickfire 65 to set the hosts a mammoth total of 608 for an improbable win.

England’s start was not ideal as they lost opener Zak Crawley for a duck, getting caught at wide gully off Mohammed Siraj in the second over of the innings. Soon, they lost the other opener Ben Duckett, who was castled by Akash Deep, after making a 15-ball 25.

England’s best batter Joe Root walked in at number four in only the fifth over with the score reading 30/2. The experienced Root tried to stabilise the home team’s innings as he got to six off 15 balls and was involved in a 20-run stand with Ollie Pope.

Just then, Akash came up with a beauty out of nowhere to surprise the England batter. After sending a good length ball around off-stump in the first ball of his sixth over, which Root defended without much fuss, the Indian pacer angled one in, releasing the red cherry on a fuller length from wide of the crease.

The England batter played for the incoming delivery as he tried to go right behind the ball. But to his horror, the ball straightened after pitching and evaded his outside edge to sound timber. Root was devastated as Akash Deep turned back to the dressing room to signal that he too belonged here amid delightful teammates who rushed to huddle him.

Twitter was in awe of the pacer’s skill to go through the defence of one of the best batters in modern-day Test cricket.