Pant and Gill's explosive batting helps India break another record in ongoing tour of England

After becoming the first Indian team to conquer Fortress Edgbaston, Shubman Gill and company have achieved another incredible feat – that of the most sixes by a team in an away series. West Indies and New Zealand were the joint-holders of the record previously with 32 sixes each against India (1974-75) and Pakistan (2014) respectively.

LIVE Updates: IND vs ENG 3rd Test Day 4 at Lord’s

That record belongs to India now with Gill and company having hit 36 maximums already in five innings across three venues. Five of them came in their first innings in the ongoing third Test at Lord’s – two of them off Rishabh Pant’s (74) bat with Ravindra Jadeja (72), Washington Sundar (23) and Akash Deep (7) collecting one each thereafter.

Pant and Gill account for the lion’s share of sixes by Indian batters

India had collected 12 sixes in the series opener at Headingley, with wicketkeeper-batter Pant accounting for nine of them (6+3) while making history with his twin centuries. That was followed by 19 sixes in the second Test at Edgbaston – six in the first innings and 13 in the second. And this time it was captain Gill collecting the lion’s share of sixes (11) while scoring a century in each innings.

Pant has collected 15 of the 36 sixes that the Indians have scored so far in the series with 12 of them coming Gill’s bat. And from the English camp, in-form wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith tops the list with 11 so far.

The third Test at Lord’s witnessed India finish level with England after getting bowled out for 387 late on Day 3 . KL Rahul was the standout performer among the Indian batters with a patient 100 – his second century of the ongoing series as well as at the ‘Home of Cricket’, while Pant and Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with valuable half-centuries.

India appeared set to collect a handy first innings lead when they suffered another collapse late in their innings, losing their last four wickets for just 11 runs.

Earlier, Jasprit Bumrah had collected his 13th Test five-for as England were bowled out for 387 after skipper Ben Stokes won his third consecutive toss, and opted to bat for a change.