India captain Shubman Gill led from the front as he brought up his 7th career century and his second of the series on the opening day of the India vs England 2nd Test at Edgbaston on Wednesday. The skipper had scored a century in the 1st Test at Leeds when he slammed 147 runs in the first innings but could only contribute 8 in the second.
In Wednesday’s match, Gill notched up his ton with 199 deliveries in an innings studded with 11 fours even as wickets fell around him. Ravindra Jadeja was with him at the time of his century, Gill’s fourth in England, with India losing both Yashasvi Jaiswal and Nitish Reddy in quick time.
Gill has been facing a bit of criticism due to his captaincy in the last Test at Leeds with former head coach Ravi Shastri telling the 25-year-old to be a little more proactive. Gill’s Team India were well ahead of England going into the final day of the first Test but the visitors ended up chasing a record target of 371 with five wickets and most of the third session to spare.
“The most important thing for India is to throw the counter punch almost immediately. When you lose a Test match like this where you have dominated most of it and then you lose it on the last day with a big chase and full marks to England for keeping their composure and doing that, it will need a lot of character to come to the fore and to bounce back in the series,” Shastri told ICC Review.
At Tea on Wednesday, India reached 182-3 after opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal fell short of what would have been his second century of the series.
Resuming on 98-2 after lunch after being put in to bat, Jaiswal and skipper Gill steadily built a partnership before England skipper Ben Stokes made the breakthrough.
Gill had taken the majority of the strike in the second session and when Jaiswal was on 87, he sliced at a wide delivery from Stokes and was caught behind by an ecstatic Jamie Smith.
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As Stokes wheeled away in celebration, Jaiswal, who had scored a century in the first innings of the opening test, looked on forlornly at the celebrations before he trudged back to the pavilion.
(With agency inputs)
