As the coaches carrying the two teams returned to their hotel on Sunday evening, a large crowd had gathered outside to cheer them in. It was no less than the players deserved after another compelling day in this series, one that featured Shubman Gill delighting the locals with his third Test century and yet had England still believing.
Even Gill said his side’s chances of making it 1-1 in the series were only “70-30” at stumps on day three, an appraisal that said plenty about the impact Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have had not only on their players, but opponents too. England had been set a target of 399, what would be their highest successful chase in history if reeled in and by some distance the highest by a visiting team on Indian soil. But having raced to 67 for one in 14 overs, it was hard to completely discount them.
