The India vs England Test series has witnessed a thrilling turn as the Indian team, led by Shubman Gill, etched their name in cricket history by achieving a remarkable feat: setting a new world record for the most sixes in a single away Test series. This accomplishment came during the third Test at Lord's, London, surpassing the previous record held jointly by West Indies and New Zealand.
India reached a total of 36 sixes in the series, overcoming the 32 sixes hit by the West Indies and New Zealand in past series. Contributions came from several players, including Rishabh Pant with 2 sixes, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Reddy, and Akash Deep.
In the third Test at Lord's, India mirrored England's first-innings score of 387, marking only the ninth instance in Test history where both teams have posted identical scores in their first innings. This has only occurred four times with higher totals. KL Rahul's century was instrumental in achieving this feat, with valuable contributions from Rishabh Pant (74) and Ravindra Jadeja (72).
Rishabh Pant has also achieved a personal milestone, surpassing Viv Richards for the most sixes against England in Test cricket. Pant reached 36 sixes in 26 innings against England, surpassing Richards' previous record of 34 sixes.
Shubman Gill has been in impressive form throughout the series,. Gill had already set numerous records during the second Test at Edgbaston, including the highest score by an Indian captain in a Test match. He also surpassed Virat Kohli's highest score as an Indian captain and Sunil Gavaskar's record for most runs by an Indian in a Test match.
The series stands at an interesting juncture, with India having won the second Test at Birmingham by 336 runs after losing the first Test at Leeds by 5 wickets. The third Test at Lord's is currently underway, and the remaining matches are scheduled to be held at Manchester (July 23-27) and The Kia Oval, London (July 31-August 4).
The achievement of the most sixes in a Test series and individual milestones by Pant and Gill underscore the team's aggressive and confident approach. As the series progresses, it remains to be seen whether India can capitalize on this momentum and secure a series victory against a strong England side.