IND vs ENG, 2nd Test: Captain Gill's ton, Jaiswal's 87 take India to 310/5

Shubman Gill led from the front again with a second hundred in as many games as India captain to keep England at bay at Edgbaston on Wednesday (July 2). Gill's 114 not out was the fulcrum of India's 310/5 at stumps on the first day of the second Test, with Yashasvi Jaiswal adding a typically spirited 87. India lost two wickets in a quick time to be 211/5 but Ravindra Jadeja (41 not out), the all-rounder, assisted Gill in warding off another collapse in an unbeaten partnership of 99 runs.

In the opening Test at Headingley, India recorded five separate hundreds, including Gill's 147, and yet lost -- the first time that had occurred in over 60,000 first-class matches. England skipper Ben Stokes, like he did in Leeds, once more chose to bowl after winning the toss, with England having recorded their record fourth innings chase win of 378 at Edgbaston, against India, three years ago.

KL Rahul, off a hundred at Headingley, hardly seemed at ease as he struggled for a 26-ball two that was dismissed when he played on off Chris Woakes. Both Woakes (2/59 in 21 overs) and new-ball colleague Brydon Carse (1/49 in 16) maintained strictness. But the pressure England had put on in a first hour where India were restricted to 37/1 off 13 overs was let out by Josh Tongue, whose 13 overs without wicket gave away 66 runs.

England would, though, have been more solid if a few tight leg before wicket reviews had not turned against them on the umpire's call, with batsmen benefiting from the on-field umpires having originally given them out. Left-handed Jaiswal smashed a 59-ball fifty, 40 of his runs scored in fours, with back-to-back boundaries from fast bowler Tongue, a hook followed by a rasping cut.

Jaiswal denied century

Jaiswal, 62 not out at lunch, seem set for another hundred after his 101 at Headingley before was caught flat-footedly behind edging a cut off a loose Stokes delivery. Rishabh Pant, who in Leeds was the second wicketkeeper in Test history to score two hundreds in a match, was somewhat held in check in taking 23 balls to get to his first boundary -- a six off Shoaib Bashir.

The off-spinner was to get his own back when Pant (25) hit a hook shot at long-on. India were then 208/4 and then immediately were 211/5 when the recalled Nitesh Kumar Reddy was bowled playing no shot to a Woakes delivery that nipped back off the seam.

But 25-year-old Gill pulled Stokes in front of square and drove Carse for dominant fours. Gill however took several minutes of outfield attention when on 86 for what seemed like cramp - a hold-up which provoked boos from a sold-out crowd at a heat-kissed Edgbaston.

The boos, however, were replaced by applause when, in the over preceding when England got the new ball, Gill swept part-time off-spinner Joe Root for back-to-back fours to seal a patient 199-ball hundred, with 11 boundaries. India replaced three players, resting Jasprit Bumrah after it was announced earlier in the series the pacer would only appear in three of the five Tests to safeguard his fitness after suffering a back injury.