Assistant coach Jeetan Patel insisted that England’s exhausted cricketers can pull off another miracle and win at Edgbaston despite India’s utterly dominant position after two days.

After the first Test, at Headingley, Gill said his 147 was not enough and that he should have gone bigger. At Edgbaston, he did exactly. In friendly batting conditions, he batted with discipline, relying on minimum-risk caresses for most of his boundaries and offering no chances to bring up his maiden Test double-century.