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Shubman Gill continued his dream start to captaincy with a second consecutive Test century, steering India to 310 for 5 on the opening day of the second Test against England at Edgbaston.
His unbeaten 114 under pressure was the foundation of a resilient Indian innings, as the visitors looked to bounce back after their bruising defeat at Headingley.
The 25-year-old's innings, laced with 11 boundaries, was a mix of patience and precision, coming off 199 deliveries. His composure at the crease proved critical after India suffered a mid-innings wobble, losing two wickets for just three runs to slump from 208-3 to 211-5. Ravindra Jadeja (41 not out), playing the anchor role to perfection, partnered Gill in an unbroken 99-run stand that saw India end the day with momentum firmly in hand.
Having opted to bowl first - mirroring his call from Headingley - England captain Ben Stokes was hoping for a repeat of their remarkable fourth-innings chase. But while early inroads from Chris Woakes (2-59) and Brydon Carse (1-49) applied pressure, England failed to capitalize as the day wore on.
India had earlier made a steady, if unspectacular, start after losing KL Rahul cheaply. The opener, fresh from a century last week, struggled for rhythm and eventually chopped on to Woakes for a painstaking 2 off 26 balls.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, however, counterattacked in style. The left-hander brought up his fifty off just 59 deliveries, peppering the off-side boundary with crisp cuts and hooks. His 87 off 104 balls looked destined for another century until a rare lapse saw him edge a loose cut off Stokes to the keeper.
Rishabh Pant, typically aggressive, played a subdued hand before launching Shoaib Bashir for a towering six. But his attempt to accelerate proved costly, holing out for 25. Debutant Nitesh Kumar Reddy followed soon after, shouldering arms to a Woakes delivery that jagged back sharply.
At 211-5, India teetered - but Gill remained unflustered. Despite needing treatment for cramps while on 86, he held his nerve, eventually sweeping Joe Root to bring up his century to a mixed reception from the Edgbaston crowd. From there, he continued to milk the bowling and frustrate the hosts alongside the ever-dependable Jadeja.
England's bowling lacked bite in the absence of sustained pressure. Josh Tongue was expensive, conceding 66 runs in 13 wicketless overs, and the part-time spin of Root and the rawness of Bashir left gaps India exploited.
India, who made three changes, rested Jasprit Bumrah as part of workload management. Akash Deep was handed the daunting task of stepping in for the world's number one-ranked Test bowler and will be under the microscope when England take the field on Day Two.
While Gill's innings has given India a solid platform, the lessons from Leeds remain fresh. In the series opener, five Indian centuries still weren't enough to prevent defeat. With England's recent record of epic fourth-innings chases, no total will feel truly safe.
For now, though, it's advantage India. But in this fiercely competitive five-Test series, the pendulum rarely stays still for long.
