India vs England: Indian Captain Shubman Gill scores his second century of the tour; India at 310/5

New Delhi (India) July 3: On the first day of the second Test on Wednesday, India fought strongly to reach 310/5 against England with Shubman Gill scoring a majestic century and Yashasvi Jaiswal just missing out on a well-earned hundred. After his 147 at Headingley, Gill's innings of 114 not out off 216 balls was his second straight century in the series. In his first two Test matches as captain, he hit two consecutive hundreds making him one of the few Indian captains to do so.

In cricket history, Shubman Gill made a lasting impression by becoming the second Indian captain to score hundreds in England's first and second Test matches.

Jaiswal's aggressive 87 which included 13 fours gave India a good start and Gill's seventh Test century was achieved with calm and strategic shot selection. After strong starts, Karun Nair (31) and Rishabh Pant (23) were dismissed and Chris Woakes's nip-backer totally beat Nitish Reddy (1).

With India struggling at 211 for 5, veteran Ravindra Jadeja showed off his batting skills in SENA nations with an undefeated 41 off 67 balls and 99 runs in an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership with Gill. Shoaib Bashir, Brydon Carse and captain Ben Stokes all took wickets for England. Chris Woakes also took two wickets.

Jaiswal said during the press conference after the play of the day that Gill's batting was fantastic to see and that his captaincy has been spot-on thus far. He also stated that the team is confident in what they're doing at the moment. 

Jaiswal was unfortunate to get out on 87 after batting brilliantly and losing out on another hundred against England. Despite his disappointment, the Indian opener acknowledged that it was a necessary aspect of the game. He said that in cases where the opposition challenges him, he will look for a way to win.

He said, "It is disappointing to get out like that but it is part of game. But I want to enjoy the game at the same time. I try to find a solution what can be good in this situation. Plans are always in the mind."

Gill led from the front with a calm and resilient knock after India rested pace ace Jasprit Bumrah. The 24-year-old arrived under pressure and faced a demanding opening session, taking the heat from England's seamers before succeeding in the latter part of the day. With back-to-back sweeps from Joe Root, he reached his eighth Test century and second of the series. It was his slowest century to date, coming off 199 balls, but it was also maybe one of his most important.

Aadrika Tayal