IND vs ENG Live: Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja set to extend India's advantage

The boundary dimensions at Edgbaston became a talking point right from the start of Day 1 of the second Test. Observers noted the boundary cushions looked unusually asymmetrical, and seasoned regulars at the venue remarked they had never seen such short boundaries for a Test match here.

The most striking was the boundary near the scoreboard end, effectively wide long-off for a right-hander batting from the pavilion end, which appeared alarmingly short. Jokes quietly did the rounds, with some wondering if the unused portion of the playing area could have been repurposed for a children’s game.

The longest boundary measured just 65 metres, around the cow-corner region, while the straight boundaries were a modest 60 metres. Interestingly, India had declared their intention to play two spinners well before the toss — raising the question: were the boundaries pulled in to favour England’s aggressive batting approach?

As India closed Day 1 of the second Test on 310 for 5, the spotlight wasn’t just on Shubman Gill’s composed century, but also on the noticeably shortened boundaries at Edgbaston — a move that former England pacer Steven Finn suggested was a tactical nod to England’s Bazball approach.

“So we're here at Edgbaston. I'm stood right by the boundary rope, which is a considerable way in from where you may anticipate for a normal Test match,” Finn remarked during BBC’s broadcast. “England and their propensity to want to win the toss, bowl first and chase in the last innings maybe is the reason why those boundaries have come so far in.”

Whether a deliberate ploy or coincidence, it was India’s captain Gill who benefitted most. The 25-year-old made full use of the compact dimensions to remain unbeaten on 114 off 226 balls, holding the innings together after a mid-session stumble that saw India slide from 161/2 to 211/5.

India’s rising batting stars Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal lit up Edgbaston on Day 1 of the second Test against England, earning high praise from some of the biggest names in cricket, including Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, and Irfan Pathan.

The pair's commanding performances helped India recover from early setbacks to close at 310/5, with captain Gill unbeaten on 114 and Jaiswal contributing a fluent 87 off 107 balls.

Taking to social media platform X, Tendulkar hailed the duo’s contrasting yet complementary styles.

India's decision to rest pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for the second Test against England at Edgbaston has stirred debate, with head coach Gautam Gambhir coming under scrutiny from several former players and cricket pundits.

Despite a week-long gap between the first and second Tests, the Indian team management adhered to their pre-series strategy of having Bumrah play only three of the five Tests in the series — a workload-management decision meant to preserve the pacer's long-term fitness following his return from a back injury.

However, the move has been met with criticism from experts such as Ravi Shastri, Dale Steyn, and Kumar Sangakkara, who questioned the wisdom of benching India’s best bowler when the side is trailing 0-1 in the series.

India made three changes to the XI for the Edgbaston Test. Akash Deep was brought in as Bumrah’s replacement, while Nitish Kumar Reddy came in for Shardul Thakur, and Washington Sundar replaced Sai Sudharsan. Notably, Karun Nair was promoted to bat at No. 3, a slot vacated after Sudharsan was left out.

India’s decision to rest Bumrah and strengthen the batting with Washington Sundar and Reddy raised eyebrows, especially after the team’s inability to take 20 wickets in Leeds.

The selection left Kuldeep Yadav out again, with Akash Deep coming in for Bumrah.

Another talking point was the visibly shortened boundary ropes at Edgbaston — a tweak that stirred speculation about favouring the Bazball approach.

With India posting just 310 despite the trimmed field, and lacking their ace pacer, the strategy will be tested as the Test unfolds.

India began cautiously after being put in to bat under overcast skies.

KL Rahul was the first to go, chopping on to his stumps off Woakes for just 2. But Karun Nair, batting at No. 3, and Jaiswal built a promising 80-run partnership. Nair looked assured with a fluent 31, but fell just before lunch, nicking a sharp Brydon Carse delivery to second slip.

Jaiswal took charge with confident strokeplay, including crisp cover drives and pulls, handling Carse’s short-ball ploy effectively. India reached 121/2 at lunch - a fair return after a testing first hour.

India's decision to go with three all-rounders saw debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy bat at No. 7, but he endured a forgettable outing - shouldering arms to a Woakes delivery that sent his off stump cartwheeling.

Earlier, Rishabh Pant (25) fell to a clever field trap by Stokes, picking out long-on trying to go aerial against Bashir.

Those twin strikes briefly opened the door for England before Gill and Jadeja restored calm. However, the late-session wobble rekindled concerns about India’s middle order fragility, especially with a light bowling attack selected.

Yashasvi Jaiswal looked set for another Edgbaston classic before falling for 87 off 107 — an aggressive yet measured knock that stitched the backbone of India’s innings. His dismissal came against the run of play when he slashed at a wide delivery from Ben Stokes, edging it to the keeper.

Despite the platform he and Gill laid, India slowed down post-lunch. England managed to check the run flow, with just 84 runs coming in the 28 overs of the second session.

The Edgbaston crowd, especially the lively Eric Hollies Stand, provided much-needed energy as India opted for caution on a slower pitch than Leeds.

Shubman Gill displayed immense patience and maturity to anchor India with a gritty unbeaten 114 on Day 1 of the second Test at Edgbaston.

Coming into the match with the added responsibility of leading the side, Gill soaked up pressure and paced his innings methodically. He reached his seventh Test hundred - and second in as many matches - in style with back-to-back sweeps off Shoaib Bashir late in the day.

His unbroken 99-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja (41*) ensured India reached 310/5 at stumps, recovering from a mini-collapse in the final session.

With the pitch offering little assistance to bowlers and no Jasprit Bumrah in India’s ranks, Gill’s knock may prove pivotal as the game progresses.