Shubman Gill hit a hundred as India reached 310-5 on day one of the second Test against England at Edgbaston after Ben Stokes had no hesitation in inserting the tourists once again following the thrilling victory chasing in the series opener at Headingley.
Stokes had put India in to bat in Leeds a little under two weeks ago and that decision was pored over after his opponents piled on 359-3 on day one, only for England to have the last laugh by pulling off a chase of 371 – their second-highest in Tests – on the final day.
The home captain was not dissuaded by the sun starting to poke through around 10 minutes before the toss in Birmingham on Wednesday and was rewarded for bowling first when the impressive Chris Woakes (2-59) forced KL Rahul (2) to chop on in the ninth over.
However, important knocks from visiting skipper Gill (114no off 216 balls) – who notched a patient seventh Test century and second in as many games since assuming the captaincy – and Yashasvi Jaiswal (87 off 107), which were constructed on a slow pitch, meant India were happy at stumps, particularly having been reduced to 211-5.
Gill and Ravindra Jadeja (41no) shared an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 99 after joining forces following two wickets for three runs from 208-3, including that of the dangerous Rishabh Pant for 25.
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Watch the moment India captain Shubman Gill clinched a 199-ball century – his seventh ton in Tests – with a swept four off England’s Joe Root
Jaiswal was not happy, though, when he fell 13 runs short of what would have been a sixth Test ton, fourth versus England and second of this series following his knock of 101 at Headingley – the left-hander livid after chasing a wide ball from Stokes and edging behind.
And ex-India head coach Ravi Shastri was not happy either when it was announced in the morning that pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah would sit out the game as he manages his workload.
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Former India head coach Ravi Shastri was left surprised by the tourists’ decision to rest star seamer Jasprit Bumrah
Bumrah has committed to playing three of the five Tests after a back injury last winter and will be absent when England, in all likelihood, attempt another chase later in the match at the venue where they knocked off a national-record 378 against India in 2022.
England take five wickets after electing to bowl in Birmingham
Woakes, bowling on his home ground and looking much sharper than he did at Headingley, could have had three wickets in his opening spell only for two lbw reviews to stick with umpire’s call on height.
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Chris Woakes struck early for England, forcing India opener KL Rahul to chop on to his stumps
But the Warwickshire man did account for Rahul, with a batter who had played in such composed fashion in Leeds unsure whether to play or leave Woakes before the seamer made the breakthrough.
Jaiswal, subjected to one of those failed lbw reviews, stitched a stand of 80 with Karun Nair (31) – the latter promoted to No 3 after Sai Sudharsan was dropped – as the pair tucked into a wayward opening burst from Josh Tongue, before Nair then clipped clip a rising delivery from Brydon Carse (1-49) to slip shortly before lunch.
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Brydon Carse picked up England’s second wicket of the day – Karun Nair caught at slip by Harry Brook
Jaiswal played coruscating strokes through the off-side and it seemed England’s best chance of getting him out would be by tucking him up with short balls, only for the opener to waft at Stokes (1-58) outside off stump as his 66-run alliance with Gill was broken.
A double strike after tea then boosted England with first Pant who had scored a couple of bonkers hundreds in the first Test, holing out off spinner Shoaib Bashir (1-65) at long-on after a shrewd fielding change from Stokes had tempted the big shot.
Nitish Kumar Reddy (1), brought into the India side to bolster the batting after lower-order collapses of 7-41 and 6-31 in Leeds, was then castled by Woakes shouldering arms to his sixth ball.
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England stuck twice in quick succession after tea with Shoaib Bashir and Woakes accounting for Rishabh Pant and Nitish Kumar Reddy respectively
Reddy’s inclusion was one of three changes for the tourists as they aimed to level the series; seamer Akash Deep and off-spinning all-rounder Washington Sundar also coming in as Bumrah, Sudharsan and Shardul Thakur made way.
Washington was vying with left-armer Kuldeep Yadav to serve as India’s second spinner and got the nod based on his superior batting, although Kuldeep is a greater wicket-taking threat and could have been useful, especially in the fourth innings.
England went in unchanged, meaning fast bowler Jofra Archer must wait until at least the third Test at Lord’s from July 10 to make his international red-ball comeback after four years away following serious elbow and back injuries.
Watch day two of the second Test between England and India lve on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 10.15am Thursday (11am first ball) or stream without a contract.
England vs India – results and schedule
All games at 11am UK and Ireland; all live on Sky Sports
First Test (Headingley) – England won by five wicketsSecond Test (Edgbaston): July 2-6Third Test (Lord’s): July 10-14Fourth Test (Emirates Old Trafford): July 23-27Fifth Test (The Kia Oval): July 31-August 4
