• Home
  • Match Hub
  • Kl Rahul Shubman Gill Break 23 Year Old Record With Fighting Stand At Old Trafford

KL Rahul, Shubman Gill Break 23-Year-Old Record With Fighting Stand At Old Trafford

Debashis Sarangi

KL Rahul and Shubman Gill [Source: AP]KL Rahul and Shubman Gill [Source: AP]

In a remarkable achievement, KL Rahul and Shubman Gill broke the long-standing record by Rahul Dravid and Sanjay Bangar for the most deliveries faced by an Indian batting pair in England. The gritty batting duo attained the phenomenal feat on day 5 of the ongoing Test against the hosts at Old Trafford in Manchester. 

KL, Gill Frustrate England With Fighting Stand

After conceding a mammoth first-innings lead of 311 runs, India had a horrendous start to their innings, losing Yashasvi Jaiswal and B Sai Sudharsan for ducks on successive deliveries. 

However, KL Rahul kept his composure and steadied the ship with skipper Shubman Gill as the duo formed a valiant partnership for the third wicket. 

They eventually went on to break Dravid and Bangar's record, which the former cricketers made in the Leeds Test back in 2002. Notably, the ex-players had faced 405 deliveries while blunting the English attack on a tricky surface. Rahul and Gill surpassed the tally, setting a new record during their 417-ball stay in the middle. 

Most Balls Faced By An Indian Pair In England

  • 417 - KL Rahul/Shubman Gill (Manchester, 2025)
  • 405 - S Bangar/Rahul Dravid (Leeds, 2002)
  • 357 - Sachin Tendulkar/Sourav Ganguly (Leeds, 2002)
  • 312 - M Vijay/MS Dhoni (Nottingham, 2014)

England captain Ben Stokes broke the stand, trapping KL Rahul plumb in front of the stumps in the 71st over. 

KL, Gill Form Highest Partnership For 3rd Wicket In Manchester

Before the opener's departure, Gill and Rahul had already formed India's highest partnership for the third wicket at Old Trafford. Their 188-run stand is overall the third-highest by an Indian pair for any wicket at the English venue. 

Regarding the match, Rahul and Gill's partnership kept India pretty much alive in the contest. Although an embarrassing innings defeat seemed inevitable at one point, the stylish batters avoided an early collapse, neutralising the Englishmen with the utmost perfection. 

After Rahul got out, all-rounder Washington Sundar joined skipper Shubman Gill in the middle. As of writing, the visitors were 191 for three, with Gill and Sundar batting on 90* and 2*, respectively.