Shubman Gill leads from the front as India overcome post-tea wobble on Day 1 at Edgbaston

Shubman Gill ensures India finish Day 1 on top (BCCI Photo)

Before the tour of England began, there were even those who questioned Shubman Gill’s selection as a batsman, leave alone as the captain of the team. An away average of 29.50 from 13 Tests was a big stick to beat him with. Tours of England and South Africa can be notoriously difficult for young batsmen – Virat Kohli, Gill’s predecessor at No. 4, made 134 runs in 10 innings on his first tour of England – but there seemed to be no taking that into account as Gill’s record was rubbished.

Those voices are dramatically silent on Wednesday night, as Gill’s second century of the series hauled India back into contention at Edgbaston. At one stage, the visitors were well on top, but two wickets not long after Tea titled the scales England’s way. By stumps, an unbroken 99-run stand (142 balls) between Gill and Ravindra Jadeja has redressed the balance and frustrated England.

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This was a very different hundred from the one Gill made at Headingley. There, he had started fluently and fast. In Birmingham, a much-improved bowling display from England in the second session – just 84 runs came in 28 overs – forced him to work much harder. He needed 125 balls to get to his half-century and it was only late in the day that he upped the tempo to reach his seventh Test hundred in a further 74 balls.

At 208/3, it was shaping up to be India’s day. But Rishabh Pant, centurion in both innings in Leeds, played a reckless shot to Shoaib Bashir to be caught in the deep, and Nitish Kumar Reddy soon followed him back to the pavilion after bizarrely shouldering arms to a Chris Woakes delivery that nipped back in.

Woakes had given England the first breakthrough, getting KL Rahul to chop on after a diffident stay at the crease. But Yashasvi Jaiswal, who cut the ball as though wielding a rapier, and Karun Nair, who laced some gorgeous drives, rebuilt confidently, taking India to the stroke of lunch. But when Karun popped up a tame catch to Harry Brook at second slip after a well-directed short ball from Brydon Carse, England had a look in.

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Jaiswal continued to play his strokes after the interval, but fell when in sight of his second hundred of the series. Ben Stokes went round the wicket, and Jaiswal flailed at a wide ball he could easily have left alone. His 87 spanned just 107 balls, and included 13 fours.

“I think he has been amazing,” said Jaiswal of Gill after the day’s play. “The way he batted, took control. Also as a captain, he’s been calm and confident. We’re all trying to build a big score around him.

“There was more seam and bounce in Leeds than here. This wicket is a bit slower. We need to adapt accordingly.”

The big talking point before play began was India’s selection. No Jasprit Bumrah was expected, given the concerns over his workload. But no Kuldeep Yadav was a shock. Test cricket has always been a game for specialists, but the current Indian team management continues to repose faith in bits-and-pieces all-rounders like Reddy and Washington Sundar ahead of a world-class operator like Kuldeep.