Chris Woakes celebrates with England teammates (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images) TimesofIndia.com in Birmingham: India finished a hard-fought opening day of the second Test at Edgbaston on 310-5, led by a masterful unbeaten 114 from new captain Shubman Gill. Walking in with pressure mounting and the lower order exposed, Gill played a measured and mature knock to guide India out of trouble. He found an ideal partner in Ravindra Jadeja, who stood firm with a gritty 41 not out, as the duo stitched together an unbroken 99-run stand to steady the innings after two quick wickets post-tea left India teetering at 211-5.
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Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal also made a strong impression, scoring a fluent 87 on a true batting surface before falling against the run of play. England’s bowlers toiled under sunny skies and on a flat pitch, but found enough moments to stay in the contest. Chris Woakes, who returned respectable figures of 2-59, reflected on the day by acknowledging Gill’s quality. “He played very well, good for his team. We were close to getting him a couple of times, but he looked in control,” Woakes told reporters at the end of the day’s play. Woakes explained England’s rationale for bowling first, citing favourable conditions: “We saw the wicket, and there was a little bit of grass. We thought it would do a bit. 300/7 would have been a great day on a very good batting surface. Hopefully we can break this partnership and then into the tail.” Captain Ben Stokes continued his bold approach, opting to bowl first for the 10th time in 11 home toss wins. While India capitalised with solid partnerships, England’s hopes now hinge on an early breakthrough on day two to expose India’s tail. The Gill-Jadeja stand remains crucial, and with India holding the momentum, England will be eager to shift the balance quickly.
