Gill and Jaiswal shine with 87 runs on India's successful first day
Gill and Jaiswal shine with 87 runs on India's successful first day
Shubman Gill scored 114 not out, his second consecutive century, while Yashasvi Jaiswal hit 87 as India reached 310/5 against England in the second Test.
India had a strong first day in the second Test at Edgbaston, finishing at 310 for 5, thanks to a fantastic unbeaten century from captain Shubman Gill and an impressive 87 from Yashasvi Jaiswal. The day started under cloudy skies, and England, unchanged from the previous match, chose to bowl first. India, aiming for more depth in their batting, made a few changes to their playing XI.
The innings got off to a shaky start when KL Rahul was dismissed early by Chris Woakes, who bowled a tight and testing spell with the new ball. He beat the bat several times and was unlucky not to get more wickets, as two LBW appeals against Jaiswal and Karun Nair were turned down after being reviewed. The decisions went in India’s favour, but Woakes finally got his reward when Rahul chopped one onto his stumps.
Jaiswal and Nair then put together a steady partnership of 80 runs, finding ways to score and relieve pressure once Woakes was taken out of the attack. Jaiswal grew more confident and played a series of elegant shots, especially off Josh Tongue’s bowling. England responded with short-pitched deliveries, which Jaiswal handled well by pulling and hooking for boundaries, reaching his half-century in the process.
Just before lunch, Karun Nair fell to Brydon Carse while trying to fend off a short ball, giving a simple catch to the slips. After that, Gill and Jaiswal teamed up to keep India going in the afternoon session. The runs didn’t flow quickly as England bowled tightly and spread the field, but the batters held firm. Gill played cautiously while Jaiswal punished any loose deliveries that came his way. There was a bit of drama when Gill had to deal with a couple of LBW appeals, both surviving thanks to faint inside edges.
England desperately needed a breakthrough and got one when Ben Stokes returned to bowl and dismissed Jaiswal, who tried to cut a short, wide ball but ended up bottom-edging it behind. Rishabh Pant, as usual, brought flair, hitting a six off Shoaib Bashir before tea, but was mostly careful. He took India to 182/3 at tea alongside Gill.
In the final session, Pant tried to attack Bashir again but got caught at long-on by Zak Crawley. Soon after, Nitish Reddy, batting ahead of Ravindra Jadeja, was bowled by a delivery from Woakes that came back in sharply. At this point, Gill stood tall amidst falling wickets. He found support in Jadeja, and together they rebuilt the innings. Gill reached his century his second in a row as full-time captain by hitting back-to-back boundaries off Joe Root and celebrated passionately.
Near the end of the day, Jadeja got lucky when his edge flew through the slips and gully for four. Despite the second new ball offering some movement, both batters remained solid and kept the scoreboard ticking. They guided India past 300 before stumps, ending a day full of fight, determination, and gritty batting. It was a tough day for England, especially Woakes, who bowled well but missed out on more wickets, while Gill and Jadeja’s partnership gave India a strong finish.