India vs England : 2nd Test Match at Edgbaston; Day One

  India vs England : 2nd  Test Match at Edgbaston

Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy

Day One : 

In one sentence the first day can be titled as "The Captain's Day Out". 

The toss is always rated as a governing factor in Test Match more particularly when there is some advantage to the bowlers on the first day of the game. With prediction of cloudy sky and rainfall before the start of the game Stokes called the coin rightly and opted to bowl first. Gill also shared his thoughts on the toss with the same viewpoint. However, with the day progressed the chances of rains diminished, and it was a clear sky. Stokes out of his 12 home Test Matches had called the coin correctly 10 times and had always opted to bowl first, courageous act indeed.

The openers had a point to prove under the circumstances same as the new ball bowlers beginning with Woakes and Carse. Yashasvi and Rahul started watchfully but a beautiful incoming delivery from Woakes made the trick and Rahul was bowled off his bat while trying to play a rising delivery. It was a scratchy stay in the wicket for him. Yashasvi was trying to negotiate the moving and rising deliveries and slowly regaining his touch. Karun Nair joining Yashasvi at number three was ever watchful to continue building the innings, a crucial game for him. The score reached at 95 for 2 and a partnership of 80 solid runs between them. The wicket in the early hours and 1st session was playing its trick and a awkwardly rising delivery from Carse ended the steady innings of Karun Nair caught at slips. 

The Captain walked in with lot to do and also to prove his point on maintaining a healthy average for his team and also himself as lot of criticism has come in for his batting averages in England. Shubman Gill started confidently and continued to push the score with his elegant batting and ever watchful eyes. He had some tensed moments in between with one delivery from Carse drifting inside and hitting his pads but to his luck it had a thick inside edge to his pad. Yashasvi and Gill continued with their partnership. Post lunch with Sun peeking in, ball getting soft, Ben Stokes was shuffling his bowlers well with a tight and meaningful field placing. Woakes was giving full support and was also troubling the batters. Gill also had to face some anxious moments; a loud appeal was turned down.

Stokes had utilized all his bowlers to break the partnership. Bashir was introduced, Tongue was not proving to be effective. Both the batters were playing pace and spin with confidence and to the merit of the ball. Running out of options, Stokes came to bowl with score at 161 for 2 a crucial partnership for the team. Yashasvi set for a century batting with ease at 87 runs chased an outgoing delivery from Stokes and paid the price. A lazy looking shot ended the innings and also the partnership. Rishabh Pant and Gill had a task to complete like in 1st test match and Pant immediately cleared his intentions by attacking the bowler. The post lunch session had a slow scoring rate as compared to pre-lunch which further prompted Pant to play his natural game. 

The final session was full of excitement with Cricket at its best with both the teams had their share of competitiveness. Pant and Gill were going great and Pant in particular was after the bowlers and also playing on merit. Gill with another half century was paving the way for a solid Indian innings. Bashir was at the receiving end for some time as Pant was trying to make use of all flighted deliveries with his traditional tumbling pull shot, lofted shots, however Bashir continued with his spell of flighted deliveries with perfect field setting for him by Stokes and suddenly Pant was deceived with one such flighted delivery to be caught in the deep. Though he started playing his natural game to push the strike rate but at the end he scored 25 runs of 42 balls.

A typical story of this Indian innings was getting repeated, whenever there is a partnership growing, England bounces back to put a brake on the same.  With the score 208 for 4, Nitish Reddy walks in for his 1st test match in England. Chris Woakes who was brilliant throughout the day produced a beauty, an incoming sharp delivery rattling the stumps of Reddy who shoulder arms misjudging the line. India now in dire straits at 211 for 5. 

Ravindra Jadeja the next man had to prove himself once again as an allrounder playing in the squad and he started the job watchful and also trying to rotate the strike for scoreboard to move. Gill was batting steadily, and the partnership did have their moments. Jadeja picked up scoring and was hitting the ball with total confidence. Ben Stokes was using all his avenues to break the partnership and used all his options but the batters had their own game plan. Gill with his effective stroke play completed a well-made century of 199 balls, the second hundred in consecutive test matches. Only Sunil Gavaskar, Virat Kohli have scored as many centuries as Captain against England in England.

Jadeja and Gill continued for the rest of the day and at the end the score stood at 310 for 5 in 85 overs, with Gill unbeaten on 114 and Jadeja remaining not out with 41 runs. A solid 99 runs partnership for the sixth wicket.

A superb innings of grit, determination and fightback by Indian Captain stole the limelight for the day although the English bowlers did a great job particularly Woakes with figures reading at 2 for 59 of 21 overs. Carse, Stokes and Bashir all bowled effectively and had an economic spell.

The second day will have different strategies for India as they would like to play the 1st hour and the session with all fairness and keep the scoreboard moving. The lower middle order collapse as experienced in 1st test match with the lower order getting cleaned in a jiffy by England should not be repeated. The new incumbent Washington Sundar will be tested as an all-rounder and the lower orders must be ready with their response. 

Indian batters will definitely try to score as many runs as possible and also prepare themselves with their bowling unit to take the advantage in 1st innings. 

Absence of Kuldeep the able and inform spinner along with Arshdeep Singh who were left out of the squad will only be countered when the current set of bowlers and replacements from the previous game do justice to their inclusion in the team. 

The new look Indian team with their new Captain have to prove themselves in this test match and square the series before moving on to Lords for the next game.

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