IND Vs ENG Highlights, 2nd Test Day 2: Gill’s Record-Breaking 269, Pacers Rattle England To Put India On Top

The second Test between India and England will be telecast on the Sony Sports Network in India. The English broadcast will be on the Sony Sports Ten 1 & Sony Sports Ten 5 TV channels, and Hindi commentary on Sony Sports Ten 3. For Tamil and Telugu, one can tune in to Sony Sports Ten 4. Live streaming of the IND vs ENG Test will be available on the JioHotstar app and website in the country.

The weather today in Birmingham is nice and warm, with a blend of sunshine and clouds, as per AccuWeather. So far, there’s no sign of rain during the match....Read the full weather Report HERE.

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir

England were held by India captain Shubman Gill's sensational century as their bowlers fought admirably on the first day of the second Test at Edgbaston. 

After England's Ben Stokes elected to bowl first for the second consecutive Test, Gill's patient knock of 114 not out from 216 deliveries helped India to 310-5 at stumps. 

India's cause was not helped ahead of the match by the news that Jasprit Bumrah was to sit out the Test. It was one of three changes, with Akash Deep, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar drafted in. Read more....

Edgbaston’s boundary size has sparked major debate on Day 1 of the IND vs ENG 2nd Test, with many questioning if the shortened dimensions were deliberate to counter India’s two-spinner strategy. What's the matter? Check here

Runs straightaway for India, and with that, the 100 partnership between Jadeja and Gill comes up—a vital stand for the visitors. A single to begin and end the over keeps the scoreboard ticking. Ben Stokes delivers a tidy opening over, keeping things tight. Meanwhile, umpire Sharfuddoula has a quiet word with Jadeja for running down the pitch, and Harry Brook joins in to remind the Indian all-rounder to be careful.

Fifty up for Ravindra Jadeja—his 23rd Test half-century! It’s been a composed, well-judged innings from the experienced all-rounder, blending caution with timely aggression. And as always, he marks the moment with his trademark sword celebration, drawing smiles and applause from the Indian camp.

The field is set for Gill to drive through the covers, and he obliges in style, threading Woakes’ delivery for a sublime boundary. With little movement on offer from the pitch this morning, Gill looks assured, following up with a neat tap square of the wicket.

At the other end, Jadeja shows his fluency too—first driving Stokes elegantly through the covers, then adjusting to cut him behind point when the length shortens. He wisely sees out the rest of the over, balancing aggression with control.

Drinks at Edgbaston, and India continue to dominate. Shubman Gill and Ravindra Jadeja have been rock solid, adding 154 runs off 222 balls for the sixth wicket. England’s hopes of using the second new ball for early breakthroughs have faded, as the pitch remains flat and unresponsive. At 365/5 after 98 overs, India are well placed to push towards 500.

Shubman Gill brings up his maiden Test 150 in style, reaching the landmark off 263 balls with calm authority. His third fifty came at a brisker pace, taking just 64 deliveries, as he milked Shoaib Bashir for easy singles and handled Brydon Carse’s short balls without fuss.

This 150 surpasses his previous best of 147 at Headingley last week, making it his highest score in Test cricket so far. While Gill has gone past 150 in international cricket before — his top score being 208 against New Zealand in an ODI in 2023 — this knock marks a new high in the longest format.

Cheteshwar Pujara, speaking on Test Match Special on the BBC, shared his thoughts on India’s approach. He said, "The batters are looking to be positive. They know that they need a big total on this pitch." Pujara believes the key will be building a big stand, adding, "They should be looking at a 200 or 250-run partnership if they can. There’s a lot of pressure on that batting unit to score big… With the result in the last game, they know they’ll have to get 500 to get in the game. Even after getting to 500 on the pitch, they’ll have to bowl well." With rain forecast for days four and five, teams will no doubt be keeping an eye on the weather as they shape their strategies.

India tightened their grip on the second Test as they cruised to 440 for 6 at lunch on day two, thanks to a superb, record-breaking partnership between Shubman Gill and Ravindra Jadeja. The duo added 203 runs for the sixth wicket, with Gill going to lunch unbeaten on a career-best 168* — his first 150-plus score in Test cricket — and Jadeja contributing a well-made 89 before falling shortly before the interval.

The day began with Gill and Jadeja bringing up their 100-run stand off the first ball of the morning, as Gill tucked Ben Stokes through the leg side for a couple. Gill, who had batted with great discipline on day one, showed a touch more fluency today. Apart from a rare edge off Chris Woakes that flew past slip early in the day, he looked in complete control, finding boundaries with ease and handling England’s short-ball tactics calmly.

Jadeja was his usual busy self, mixing solid defence with trademark shots on both sides of the wicket. He reached his fifty with his familiar sword celebration and frustrated the hosts with his quick running between the wickets — though his habit of stepping down the pitch before deciding whether to take a run led to a few words exchanged with Stokes and Woakes. Both captains were spoken to by the umpires about avoiding the danger area on the pitch.

Both batters cleared the ropes against Shoaib Bashir as India sailed past 400. But the breakthrough finally came for England when Josh Tongue, brought on late in the session, got a short ball to rise sharply at Jadeja, who gloved it through to Jamie Smith down the leg side. Tongue followed it up with a fiery burst at Washington Sundar.

Despite Jadeja’s dismissal, India remain in a dominant position at the break, with Gill still looking composed and hungry for more runs. The visitors will aim to push towards 500 in the afternoon session, as England search for quick wickets to claw their way back.

We are back for the afternoon session at Edgbaston. The England players have taken the field, gathering in a tight huddle as they look to regroup. Shubman Gill, unbeaten and full of purpose, makes his way down the steps to resume his innings, with Washington Sundar following closely behind. The next phase of play is set to begin.

Shubman Gill has made batting look effortless today, especially against Shoaib Bashir, whom he’s milked with ease, regularly knocking him down to long-on for risk-free singles. But just after lunch, he produced one of the shots of the day — a classy cover drive off an overpitched ball, threading it perfectly between extra cover and wide mid-off despite the packed boundary.

Outstanding from Shubman Gill! The young Indian captain brought up his maiden Test double hundred in style, leading from the front with a knock that oozed class, composure, and maturity. Gill looked in complete control from the moment he arrived at the crease, and his brilliant innings will be remembered as one of the finest by an Indian skipper on English soil.

He became just the third Indian batter to score a double century in England, and the first in 23 years. With this majestic effort, Gill also broke Mohammad Azharuddin’s long-standing record for the highest score by an Indian captain in a Test in England, surpassing Azhar’s 179 from 1990.

Shubman Gill has set a new benchmark by recording the highest individual score by an Indian batter in a men’s Test match in England, reaching a superb 222 at Edgbaston. His knock has put him among the elite in Indian Test cricket history.

Only three Indian batters have ever made higher scores against England in Tests: Vinod Kambli with 224, Virat Kohli with 235, and Karun Nair with his unforgettable 303 not out.

Shubman Gill has brought up a magnificent 250, continuing his extraordinary knock as India tightened their grip on the Test at Edgbaston. The Indian captain has led from the front with a masterclass in patience and strokeplay, steering his team from a shaky 211 for 5 to a commanding 537 for 6.

Gill has found solid support from Washington Sundar, who has quietly compiled a composed innings, playing 91% of the balls he’s faced with control. The pair’s unbeaten 100-run stand for the seventh wicket has underlined India’s depth, silencing critics of their team selection and leaving England searching for answers on a flat pitch.

Shubman Gill has etched his name in the record books by surpassing Virat Kohli’s 254* against South Africa in 2019 to register the highest individual score by an Indian Test captain. His brilliant knock not only marks his maiden 250-plus score but also makes him the first Indian skipper to achieve a 250-plus Test score outside the subcontinent — eclipsing Sachin Tendulkar’s 241* at the SCG in 2004.

With this feat, Gill joins an elite club of Indian batters with 250-plus scores in Tests, alongside Virender Sehwag (who did it four times), and Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Karun Nair, and Virat Kohli, who each have one such landmark.

India head into the Tea break on Day 2 at 564/7 after 141 overs, with skipper Shubman Gill standing tall on a magnificent unbeaten 265. Gill continued his record-breaking innings, becoming the highest individual scorer by an Indian captain in England. He shared a valuable 144-run partnership with Washington Sundar, who contributed 42 before falling to Joe Root. England’s bowlers looked exhausted on a flat pitch, as India closed in on the 600-run mark, firmly in control of the Test.

Shubman Gill has etched his name among the greats with his stunning knock of 266* at Edgbaston, now standing as the third-highest individual score by a visiting captain in Test matches on English soil. Only Australia’s Bob Simpson, who scored 311 at Manchester in 1964, and South Africa’s Graeme Smith, with 277 at Birmingham in 2003, have managed bigger innings as visiting skippers.

Gill’s effort surpasses Smith’s 259 at Lord’s in the same 2003 series and Billy Murdoch’s 211 at The Oval way back in 1884. This innings from the young Indian captain is truly one for the history books.

A monumental innings from Shubman Gill finally comes to an end on 269, the seventh-highest score in India’s Test history. After a marathon effort that anchored India’s innings, Gill fell to a short ball from Josh Tongue, pulling straight to square leg. It was a tame end to an extraordinary knock, but the young skipper leaves the field to a well-deserved standing ovation for one of the finest Test innings by an Indian batter.

India’s innings comes to an end at 587, with Shoaib Bashir wrapping it up as Mohammed Siraj is stumped for a duck. Bashir’s carrom ball drifted harmlessly down the leg side, but Siraj missed it completely, and Jamie Smith did the rest behind the stumps. England now have around 100 minutes to navigate before stumps on Day 2.

India set a new benchmark by piling on 371 runs after the fall of their fifth wicket in this innings — their highest ever in Test cricket. This effort surpasses their previous best of 370 runs for the last five wickets, which came against West Indies at Kolkata in 2013. The remarkable lower-order resilience, led by Shubman Gill’s monumental 269, ensured India posted a mammoth total and kept England’s bowlers toiling for two long days.

England needed just over 30 minutes in the evening session to wrap up India’s innings, but not before the visitors posted a towering 587 — the highest total England have conceded under Ben Stokes’ captaincy. Shubman Gill added only four more runs to his overnight score before falling for a magnificent 269.

Akash Deep didn’t last long, while Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna hung around for 40 balls, adding 13 frustrating runs. Shoaib Bashir eventually ended the innings by stumping Siraj, bringing a marathon effort from India’s batters to a close.

Zak Crawley wasted no time setting the tone for England’s reply, drilling the second ball of the innings through mid-off for a crisp boundary — a reminder of his confident start in the Ashes at this very venue two years ago.

With Shubman Gill catching his breath after his epic knock, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul took charge in the field, quickly adjusting by removing the third slip to bolster the covers. But Crawley remained unfazed, following up with another authoritative straight drive, signalling his intent to take on the Indian bowlers right from the outset.

India have come out firing, and England are in deep trouble early in their innings. Akash Deep struck twice in two balls, first with a lovely delivery that angled in and then shaped away, catching Ollie Pope’s leading edge—KL Rahul held on at second slip after a brief juggle. On the very next ball, Joe Root had to defend the hat-trick ball, keeping India at bay for the moment.

Just moments after returning to the field, Shubman Gill made an immediate impact, diving to his left at third slip to pull off a superb catch and send Ben Duckett back. England are reeling, with India’s bowlers and fielders in complete control.

England are in tatters as India tighten their grip on this Test. Mohammed Siraj joined the party, tempting Zak Crawley into a loose push outside off stump, and Karun Nair made no mistake at first slip. That’s England’s third wicket down with barely a dent made in India’s massive total, still needing another 362 runs just to avoid the follow-on.

The prospect of England being asked to follow on—something that hasn’t happened to them in a decade since The Oval in 2015—is very much on the cards as India continue to dominate.

Joe Root and Harry Brook are keeping the scoreboard ticking, but not without moments of drama. Root calmly tapped Akash Deep into the covers for a single before Brook, ever positive, whipped him through square leg for a crisp boundary.

However, Brook’s aggression nearly cost him—an ambitious shot saw him beaten all ends up by a lovely delivery from Deep, whistling past his outside edge with two slips lurking. Undeterred, Brook showcased his flair, skipping down the pitch to a good-length ball from Mohammed Siraj and lofting it majestically over the covers for six.

STUMPS, DAY 2! India delivered a commanding performance at Edgbaston, ending the day firmly on top as England limped to 77 for 3 at the close, still trailing by a massive 507 runs. The hosts will need something extraordinary to claw their way back into this contest, while India will return on Day 3 with the clear intent to press home their advantage.

Shubman Gill was the star of the day, building on the foundation he laid on Day 1. The young captain batted with remarkable poise and control, converting his overnight 150 into a record-breaking 269 — the highest score by an Indian captain in Tests, surpassing Virat Kohli’s 254*.

His marathon knock, laced with 32 boundaries and a pair of sixes, etched his name alongside the greats as he became the first Indian captain to hit a double hundred in England. Gill’s partnerships defined India’s innings: first adding 203 for the sixth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja (89), then 144 for the seventh with Washington Sundar (42).

After Tea, England’s bowlers, weary from over two days in the field, finally wrapped up the Indian innings for 587. Josh Tongue and Shoaib Bashir shared the spoils, with Tongue delivering the telling blow to end Gill’s majestic innings.

India’s pacers then wasted no time asserting themselves. Akash Deep struck twice in two balls, removing Ben Duckett for a duck and Ollie Pope the very next delivery to jolt England early. Mohammed Siraj joined the party, dismissing Zak Crawley for 19, as England slumped to 25 for 3. Joe Root (18*) and Harry Brook (30*) managed to steady the ship, adding an unbroken 52 for the fourth wicket, but the deficit remains daunting.

As the players walked off, India had all the momentum, while England faced a mountain of work on Day 3 to stay alive in this Test. With the pitch flattening out, the next session could determine whether this match heads towards an innings defeat or a fightback.

Shubman Gill: "Yes, I am still on the high of that knock. When I got back in the field after my batting, I was able to watch the ball properly. It helped me as I couldn't practice the slip catching in the last two days. You saw, after I came onto the field (after a small break), I took a great catch, all thanks to my knock. 

When I walked in yesterday, near lunch break, I tried to get myself into the game. I was around 35-40 runs at around Tea after playing around 100 balls. I went to the dressing room and spoke to GG Bhai (Gautam Gambhir), I told him I am not getting boundaries; I am finding the fielders. He asked me to hang in there. 

At the end of the IPL, I worked on my technique. I worked on my initial movement and stance. I was batting nicely but getting out after scoring 30-40 runs. So, I wanted to enjoy my batting. I was focusing too hard, so I decided to make the most of it. I started working from the IPL itself.

Moving from T20 to the longer format is tough. You need to work on your mindset. Playing T20s, going after the ball becomes his initial trigger. So, I started practising with the red ball in the IPL itself.

This game is evenly poised, as runs start to flow when the ball gets older. We will look to frustrate them. We will look to bowl at certain areas. There is not much purchase on this wicket for bowlers, but frustrating them would be the trick here."