IND vs ENG: Shubman Gill, KL Rahul rewrite history for India amid Survival fight in Manchester

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India continue to fight for survival in the 4th Test against England and Shubman Gill, along with KL Rahul are set to play a paramount role on the final day.

India ended Day 4 with some respite as Gill and Rahul stitched a long partnership, taking the visitors to 174 for 2 at stumps.

Gill remains unbeaten on 78 while Rahul has also looked superb as he bats on 87. India trail by 137 runs and will have a huge task in hand on Sunday (July 27) as they look to secure a draw in the Old Trafford Test.

Indian Openers with 500-plus Runs in an Away Test Series

Currently, KL Rahul has become only the 2nd India player after Sunil Gavaskar to score for than 500 runs as an opener in an away Test series for India. Only the legendary Sunil Gavaskar had previously achieved this feat twice, once in the West Indies in 1971 with a record-shattering 774 runs, and again in England in 1979 with 542 runs.

Sunil Gavaskar (WI, 1971): 774 runs

Sunil Gavaskar (ENG, 1979): 542 runs

KL Rahul (ENG, 2025): 508* runs (ongoing series)

Multiple Indian Batters with 500-plus in the Same Away Test Series

The 2025 series has seen not one, but two Indian batters crossing 500 runs: Shubman Gill has led the way impressively with an unbeaten aggregate nearing 700, while Rahul's contributions have provided the perfect foil at the other end. This mirrors a similar achievement by Gavaskar and Dilip Sardesai during the iconic 1970-71 West Indies tour.

Sunil Gavaskar (774) & Dilip Sardesai (642) vs West Indies, 1970-71

Shubman Gill (697) & KL Rahul (508)** vs England, 2025*

KL Rahul Joins Exclusive List of Overseas Openers in England

He becomes only the second Asian opener to accumulate more than 500 runs in a Test series in England, after Sunil Gavaskar's 542 in 1979. Rahul is also the second visiting opener in the 21st century to achieve 500-plus runs in a Test series in England, following Graeme Smith's mammoth 714 in 2003.