India vs England, Day Two: Shubman Gill closes in on maiden double century

Dubai: India strengthened their position on Day Two of the second Test, with Shubman Gill closing in on his maiden Test double-century and Ravindra Jadeja narrowly missing out on a ton after being dismissed for 89 just before lunch on Thursday.

It was crucial for the overnight pair to extend their partnership — and Gill and Jadeja did just that, putting on a masterclass of controlled aggression. The experienced duo toyed with the England attack, scoring at a brisk rate and adding 104 runs in just 25 overs during the morning session.

The pitch offered little movement, but the extra bounce eventually worked in England’s favour. The 203-run sixth-wicket stand was broken when Jadeja fended an awkward bouncer from Josh Tongue and was caught behind by Jamie Smith.

India went to lunch on 419 for six, with Gill unbeaten on 168 and eyeing a landmark double-ton. With ideal sunny conditions in Birmingham, the visitors will now look to stretch their total closer to the 500-run mark — especially after suffering collapses of 7-41 and 6-31 in previous outings like at Headingley.

Jadeja brought up his half-century with a single off local favourite Chris Woakes, celebrating with his trademark sword-swing to raucous cheers from a large contingent of India fans in the crowd.

The applause only grew when the left-hander struck back-to-back boundaries off Ben Stokes — first a stylish back-foot punch through extra cover, then a crisp cut off a loose delivery.

Stokes responded by introducing off-spinner Shoaib Bashir and placing a 6-3 leg-side field for pacer Brydon Carse, as England turned to unconventional methods in search of a breakthrough on a batter-friendly surface.

Gill continued to pile on the pressure. A single off Bashir took him to 150 off 263 balls, an innings studded with 17 fours. The India captain, now with the highest score of his career, reverse-swept Bashir for four, then brought up the 200-run partnership with Jadeja in style by slog-sweeping the spinner for six.

Jadeja followed suit with a lofted six off Bashir to bring up India’s 400 — but fell shortly after, ending what had been a game-defining stand.

Two centuries, a team dinner, and a few baffling selection calls — Day One of the second Test in Birmingham saw India reach 310 for five, but the real story unfolded beyond the scoreboard. While Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal lit up Edgbaston with commanding innings, the decision to drop Sai Sudharsan after just one Test and rest Jasprit Bumrah on a dry surface has left fans and former players questioning India’s direction.

The 23-year-old Sudharsan, who finished as the top-scorer in the Indian Premier League and earned rave reviews from legends of the game, was pushed down to No 3 in his debut Test. There, he managed scores of 0 and 30 — hardly enough of a sample size to judge his potential at this level. But instead of backing the youngster, the team management dropped him, a move that reflects a more short-sighted and defensive mindset.

Shubman Gill, India’s youngest Test captain, seemed to recognise the importance of restoring balance and unity. According to NDTV, he hosted the squad for a team dinner on Sunday — reviving a tradition Rohit Sharma had moved away from. But that gesture of camaraderie was overshadowed by the conservative team selection. The pitch had a dry look and was keeping low, but Kuldeep Yadav was left out, and Bumrah was rested despite the significance of the match.

India’s innings, too, followed a similar pattern — brilliance stitched between moments of instability. KL Rahul (2) chopped the ball onto his stumps early, while Karun Nair (31), playing his first Test in years, looked scratchy and fell before lunch. But Jaiswal and Gill steadied the ship. The left-hander played with controlled aggression, racing to 87 off 107 balls, while Gill took a more measured route, anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 114 off 216 deliveries.

Gill’s hundred was a statement. Mixing grit with grace, he swept Joe Root for four to bring up the landmark, becoming the fourth Indian captain to score centuries in his first two Tests as skipper after Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar and Virat Kohli. He also joined the ranks of Dilip Vengsarkar, Rahul Dravid and Mohammad Azharuddin with three consecutive hundreds against England in Tests.

His composure was evident throughout. Gill built a resilient 66-run stand with Jaiswal, steadied things after the loss of Nair, and remained unfazed even when India lost wickets in a post-tea cluster. His century — his maiden ton outside Asia — came off 140 balls and included 14 boundaries. Along the way, he also crossed 2,000 Test runs, just as Kohli had done in Adelaide in 2014 during his own Test captaincy debut.

“We definitely want to win this Test match and the series,” Gill said in a video posted by BCCI, underlining his intent not just to compete, but to dominate.

Still, challenges remain. Rishabh Pant’s wicket once again exposed a long tail, and it took Ravindra Jadeja’s free-flowing knock to pull India out of a mid-innings wobble. The selection of more all-rounders at the cost of batting depth and spin variety has left the side unbalanced.

England will now eye early wickets on Day Two, especially with a relatively new ball in hand and morning conditions expected to favour seam movement. India, meanwhile, will hope that Gill and Jadeja can push the score closer to 400 — a total that might allow them to defend despite the absence of their premier fast bowler.

The first hour on Day Two could well define the Test — and expose whether India’s gamble in team selection was brilliance or blunder.