A remarkable century achieved under the pressure exerted by captain Shubman Gill, complemented by a robust 87 from Yashasvi Jaiswal, enabled India to strengthen their position to 310/5 on Day 1 of the second Test at Edgbaston on Wednesday (July 2).
In the overcast conditions at the toss, an unchanged England team had no reservations about choosing to bowl, while India implemented three changes and made several key positional adjustments in their XI from Leeds, aiming for enhanced batting depth that was immediately tested on the opening day. Gill, however, took the initiative with a commendable innings of 114 not out, forming a crucial unbroken partnership of 99 with Ravindra Jadeja (41*) to halt a minor decline in the evening and conclude the day without incurring further losses.
Yashasvi Jaiswal sets the stage for Team India
Jaiswal’s impressive innings established a solid foundation during a morning session characterized by two distinct phases, following the early dismissal of KL Rahul. England’s new-ball bowlers, particularly Chris Woakes, managed to extract movement and some additional bounce early on, yet the hosts could only claim one wicket from their efforts. Amid a probing and economical spell, Woakes experienced frustration as he faced two rejected LBW appeals, both of which were referred to the third umpire, only for the batters to survive due to the umpire’s call.
The first appeal involved Jaiswal, who advanced to defend a well-pitched delivery that moved in, but ball tracking indicated it was only marginally clipping the top of the stumps. Shortly thereafter, Woakes was convinced he had Karun Nair LBW after the batter failed to offer a shot to a similar delivery that struck him on the back pad. However, the bowler was left exasperated once more when the on-field decision did not go his way, as ball tracking showed the batter was saved by the narrowest of margins.
In the interim between these two near misses, Woakes was rewarded for his disciplined bowling, thoroughly testing KL Rahul on both edges. The Indian opener, who appeared hesitant throughout his time at the crease, ultimately edged one back onto his stumps, departing for a mere two runs.
After Woakes had completed his spell, India’s second-wicket partnership began to find various ways to alleviate the mounting pressure, accumulating a total of 80 runs. Nair quickly moved past his LBW scare, aided by a few half-volleys from Josh Tongue, which he confidently drove through the covers. This exquisite touch also influenced Jaiswal at the other end, as the opener gained confidence during the second hour and capitalized on the errant bowling from the pacer, showcasing a range of elegant drives.
Shubman Gill joins the party and scores another ton
England swiftly adopted the short-ball strategy, and Jaiswal aggressively targeted Tongue with hooks and pulls, securing three consecutive boundaries in an over, thereby achieving his 11th Test half-century with the second of those shots. However, Nair was not fortunate enough to evade the challenge. Six minutes prior to Lunch, Brydon Carse delivered a ball that unexpectedly jumped at him. As India’s new No. 3, Nair attempted to defend with his bat, he inadvertently sent a simple catch to second slip, where Harry Brook made no errors.
Gill partnered with a well-established Jaiswal to strengthen their position, successfully keeping the English bowling attack at bay for over an hour after Lunch. The bowlers maintained discipline, and a well-spread field reduced the number of boundaries for India. The hosts reintroduced Woakes and Carse in tandem once more, and although the scoring rate remained modest, the batting conditions had improved. While Gill exercised caution, Jaiswal capitalized on the occasional loose deliveries that England offered.
The contest between Carse and Gill intensified when the Indian captain withdrew before a delivery mid-over, culminating in a fervent LBW appeal that the hosts referred upstairs, only to discover that an inside edge had saved the batter. In the subsequent over, Woakes opted against referring an appeal, which was a wise decision, as there was again a faint inside edge that rescued Gill.
After an hour of relentless effort in the mid-session without taking a wicket, Stokes re-entered the attack and provided England with the breakthrough they had been yearning for. Completely against the flow of the game, Jaiswal attempted to slash at a short and wide delivery, resulting in a bottom edge that carried behind, denying him what would have been a well-deserved fourth Test century against England.
Team India gets par 300 on Day 1 itself
Rishabh Pant, true to his nature, targeted the spinner Shoaib Bashir for a six over long-on when the chance arose just before Tea, yet he had otherwise remained cautious of the opposition as he guided India to Tea at 182/3 alongside his captain.
However, it was this very inclination to challenge the spinners that led to a breakthrough for England in the final session. Bashir delivered a well-flighted ball to entice Pant, who succumbed and was caught at long-on by Zak Crawley, who made a well-timed catch to his right. In the subsequent over, India lost Nitish Reddy, who had been promoted ahead of the seasoned Jadeja. The allrounder, who replaced Shardul Thakur in the XI, left a delivery from Woakes that sharply turned back in to dislodge his off-stump.
Gill, who had previously secured his half-century by hitting Bashir straight over his head, continued to display resilience amidst the wickets falling around him. He found a reliable partner in Jadeja as the two worked together to rescue India from the mini-collapse that marked the start of the session. Gill advanced to his hundred – his second in as many Tests since assuming full-time captaincy – with the second of back-to-back fours off part-timer Joe Root, and he let out a loud roar in celebration.
Capping off a day that was both successful and frustrating for Woakes was a fortunate escape for Jadeja, who witnessed a thick outside-edge slip past both the second slip and the gully to reach the boundary. The second new ball posed challenges for the two batters, but it also created scoring opportunities for the well-established pair, who comfortably took India past the 300-run mark before stumps were called on an engaging day of Test cricket.
SCORECARD: India 310/5 (Shubman Gill 114*, Yashasvi Jaiswal 87, Ravindra Jadeja 41*; Chris Woakes 2-59) vs England.
