Jaiswal’s 11th Test fifty gets India off the blocks in Edgbaston

Yashasvi Jaiswal’s typically ebullient half-century drove India to 98 for 2 in an even-keeled morning session on Day 1 of the second Test at Edgbaston. Chris Woakes was unlucky to end up with just one wicket despite a probing opening spell, whereas Jaiswal and Karun Nair brought India back on track after the setback with an assured stand of 80 thereafter. However, Brydon Carse yanked England back into the game at the stroke of Lunch with the wicket of the resurgent Nair.

In overcast conditions, an unchanged England sent India in. The visitors rang the changes on the flipside, drafting in both all-rounders Nitish Reddy and Washington Sundar to add batting depth, in place of Sai Sudharsan and Shardul Thakur, while Akash Deep replaced spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who was afforded rest notwithstanding a week-long gap since the series opener in Leeds.

England’s new-ball merchants, Woakes in particular, got the ball to hoop around and there was some steep bounce on offer early in the session but the hosts could only muster up a single strike. Sandwiched between two close lbw calls was Woakes’ reward for disciplined bowling. KL Rahul, iffy since the start of the innings, dragged one back onto his stumps.

Once Woakes was out of the attack, India’s second-wicket pair breathed a little easy. Nair latched onto a few half-volleys by Josh Tongue while Jaiswal grew in confidence in the second hour and heaped the misery on Tongue courtesy an array of drives.

England uncorked the short-ball ploy soon enough, and Jaiswal took on Tongue with horizontal bat shots on the leg side to fetch three consecutive boundaries in an over, completing his 11th Test half-century with the middle one. Six minutes before Lunch, Carse got one to jump at Nair and as he put his bat up to fend it, he spliced it to second slip where Harry Brook made no mistake.