Day 1 of the second Test between India and England at Edgbaston, Birmingham, concluded with India in a strong position at 310 for 5. Captain Shubman Gill led the charge with an unbeaten century, scoring 114 off 216 balls, including 12 boundaries. Ravindra Jadeja provided solid support, remaining not out on 41, and together they forged an unbroken 99-run partnership to see out the day.
England won the toss and elected to bowl, hoping to exploit the helpful conditions. However, India, despite losing KL Rahul early for just 2, recovered well. Karun Nair (31) and Yashasvi Jaiswal stabilized the innings with an 80-run partnership for the second wicket. Jaiswal looked impressive but fell short of a century, dismissed for 87.
Shubman Gill then took control, building crucial partnerships with Rishabh Pant (25) and later with Jadeja. Nitish Reddy was dismissed cheaply for 1. Gill's innings was not only about scoring runs but also about achieving records. He became the second Indian captain to score a Test hundred at Edgbaston, following Virat Kohli. Gill's control percentage of 96.5% was the highest ever recorded by a centurion in England. He also joined Mohammed Azharuddin as the only Indian captains to score hundreds in consecutive Tests in England. This was his third consecutive Test century against England, putting him alongside Azharuddin, Vengsarkar, and Dravid.
India were in a spot of bother at 211/5, but the unbroken 99-run partnership between Gill and Jadeja put India in a commanding position. England conceded 128 runs in the final session and will be looking to strike early on Day 2 with the new ball.
Looking ahead to Day 2, India will aim to build on their strong foundation and aim for a substantial first-innings total, potentially exceeding 500 runs. The play will resume at 3:30 pm IST, which is 11 am local time in Birmingham, and continue until 10:30 pm IST. England will be looking to utilize the new ball to their advantage and break the Gill-Jadeja partnership early. The match is part of the five-match series, with England leading 1-0 after winning the first Test at Headingley.
