ENG vs IND, 2nd Test: Captain Shubman Gill's hundred takes spotlight off selection scrutiny

England vs India, 2nd Test: Captain Shubman Gill scored a superb century to help India recover from a mini-collapse at the start of the final session. India ended Day 1 on 310 for 5, with Gill and Ravindra Jadeja (41) sharing a crucial 99-run unbeaten partnership.

In Short

• Shubman Gill continued his sensational run with the bat in 2nd Test
• India ended Day 1 at 310 for 5 after England opted to bowl at Edgbaston
• India did exceedingly well to arrest what looked like a mini-collapse

On a sunlit Edgbaston morning that felt deceptively calm, the heat was already on captain Shubman Gill before a ball was bowled. Questions about India's playing XI, eyebrows raised over the absence of Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah, and the choice to field three all-rounders -including Washington Sundar meant Gill walked out for the toss with more on his shoulders than just the coin. By the time he walked off unbeaten on 114 at stumps, those murmurs had been quietened-if only temporarily—by the sound of the ball meeting the sweet spot of his bat.

India ended Day 1 of the second Test on 310 for 5, with Gill and Ravindra Jadeja (41*) adding an unbroken 99-run stand that dragged the visitors out of a hole after a brief wobble in the final session. It wasn't flawless, but it was resilient. In many ways, it was a captain's day out.

At 10:30 am (BST), Gill had stood before the cameras and calmly explained that Bumrah had been rested with an eye on Lord's. But the timing-0-1 down, away from home, needing a win-made the decision look bold at best, naive at worst. At 6:08 pm (BST), as the Indian captain reached his seventh Test hundred with back-to-back boundaries off Joe Root, Gill took off his helmet and let out a visceral, cathartic roar-one part release, one part defiance.

India's innings had started shakily after being inserted on a pitch that looked dry but offered a hint of movement early on. KL Rahul scratched around for 27 balls before chopping on for 2, beaten by movement off the seam from Chris Woakes, who was immaculate in the first hour. Woakes then produced two tight LBW appeals-one against Jaiswal, one against Karun Nair-but both fell victim to the fickleness of the umpire's call.

ENG vs IND, 2nd Test, Day 1: HIGHLIGHTS

Nair survived, but not for long. Promoted to No. 3 in place of the dropped Sudharsan, the Karnataka batter looked fluent for his 32 until Brydon Carse cramped him with extra bounce just before lunch. Harry Brook accepted the offering at second slip, and Nair's return to the XI was over just as it looked to be warming up.

ENGLAND TRIGGER MINI-COLLAPSE

At the other end, Yashasvi Jaiswal was all poise and panache, picking up from where he left off in Leeds. He danced into pulls and leaned into drives with elegance, particularly against Josh Tongue, whose early spells veered from threatening to toothless. Jaiswal raced to his 11th Test fifty and looked set for a second successive century before slashing at a short, wide delivery from Ben Stokes-exactly the kind of nothing ball that great players regret. Jaiswal departed for 87, and with him went India's upper hand.

If the first hour after lunch was slow burn consolidation, the third session threatened to undo the day's hard work. Rishabh Pant, who had launched Bashir for six before tea, took the bait once too often and holed out to long-on, continuing his love-hate affair with patience in Test cricket. Nitish Kumar Reddy followed in the next over-shouldering arms to Woakes and watching his off-stump cartwheel-leaving India at 211 for 5 and England sniffing blood.

GILL'S OLD SCHOOL GRIT

But where the top order flirted with collapse, Gill stood like an anchor in choppy waters. His innings was a study in controlled aggression-neither shackled nor reckless. He punched crisply off the back foot, drove with intent, and when the spinners erred, he lofted them with authority. One such moment, a towering straight six off Bashir, brought up his fifty. Another, a neat clip off Root, took him to three figures.

Though his 11 boundaries were spread evenly, with as many piercing the covers as those tucked between backward square and midwicket, it was the 199 balls taken to reach the milestone that told the true story. Gill was in no mood to rush. He refused to be drawn into ego duels when Ben Stokes set audacious fields—three men at cover, one at short mid-on—daring him to take a chance. He didn’t. He trusted his game.

Behind the measured approach, though, there was steel. This was not merely another hundred—it was a message. If Headingley had showcased promise, Edgbaston embodied purpose.

At the other end, Ravindra Jadeja offered calm resistance. His 67-ball 41 wasn’t flamboyant, but it was vital. Once again, he underlined his credentials as a dependable batter in overseas Tests. The pair soaked up pressure during the final session, picked off errors with the second new ball, and ensured India finished the day in a commanding position.

With his second century as captain, Gill joined a select group—becoming just the fourth Indian to register hundreds in each of his first two Tests as skipper. He now sits alongside Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar, and Virat Kohli.

Gill also became only the fifth Indian to score a Test hundred at Edgbaston, following in the footsteps of Sachin Tendulkar, Kohli, Rishabh Pant, and Jadeja.

Of England’s attack, Woakes (2 for 59) was the standout—combining accuracy with clever variation. Tongue and Carse had their moments, while Stokes tried everything in his captain’s arsenal. Bashir got the ball to turn but lacked bite. As the sun dipped behind the pavilion, it felt as though England had let India off the hook.

The day, though, belonged to Gill. In Indian cricket, captaincy is as much about perception as it is performance. The debate around Jasprit Bumrah’s rest hasn’t gone away. Questions around team selection remain. But for now, Gill has the scoreboard on his side.

- Ends