England vs India 2nd Test: Shubman Gill's century and Yashasvi Jaiswal's steady 87-run knock ensured India finish Day 1 of the second Test against England at Edgbaston on a strong note. Despite the early jitters caused by England bowlers, India were placed at .. by the close of Day 1's play with Shubman Gill (114*) and Ravindra Jadeja (41*) unscathed on the crease.
For England Chris Woakes took two wickets while Brydon Carse, Ben Stokes and Shoaib Bashir grabbed one scalp each.
After England's captain Ben Stokes once again chose to bowl first, his bowling attack faced a resilient Indian batting lineup on another flat pitch. Despite their efforts, Gill took India past 300-run mark by the close of opening day.
England's bowlers did manage to make early breakthroughs. Chris Woakes delivered a fine spell with the new ball, dismissing KL Rahul (2) by bowling him off an inside edge. Later, just before lunch, Brydon Carse generated extra bounce to have Karun Nair caught at slip for 31. However, the Indian opener, Yashasvi Jaiswal, played an elegant innings, scoring 87 runs. After Jaiswal was caught behind off Stokes' bowling, Rishabh Pant (25) joined Gill at the crease, and the pair added 66 runs as the initial pace and movement of the new ball diminished under the Birmingham sunshine.
England persevered, and their efforts were rewarded when Pant's patience wore thin after the tea break. He attempted a big hit off Shoaib Bashir but was caught at long-on for 25. In the very next over, Nitish Kumar Reddy (1) was bowled by Woakes, shouldering arms to a delivery. This left India in a precarious position, potentially facing a collapse. However, Gill remained composed and reached his century for the second consecutive match, achieving the milestone in 199 deliveries. He then formed a crucial 99-run partnership with Ravindra Jadeja, which saw India through to the end of the final 90 minutes of play.
The Indian team, who made three changes to their lineup, including resting their star bowler Jasprit Bumrah, would likely be content with their day's performance. However, the memories of England's successful chase at Headingley would serve as a reminder that India still has a big task ahead to bat England out of the game.