The second Test of the ongoing five-match series between India and England began today at Edgbaston in Birmingham. England won the toss and elected to bowl first, capitalizing on favorable conditions. India, currently trailing 0-1 in the series after losing the first Test, is aiming to bounce back and level the series. Batting first, India reached 98 for 2 at lunch on Day 1, with opener Yashasvi Jaiswal leading the charge. The team faced early setbacks, but Jaiswal's counter-attacking knock steadied the innings.
The Indian innings was opened by Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul. However, Rahul failed to make an impact and was dismissed for 2 runs off 25 balls, bowled cleanly by Chris Woakes. Karun Nair, making a return to the Test side, played a composed innings and added 31 runs off 50 balls before being caught in the slips by Brydon Carse. On the other end, Yashasvi Jaiswal showcased aggressive intent, bringing up a brilliant half-century. He remained unbeaten at lunch with 59 runs off 61 balls, including 11 fours, providing much-needed momentum to the Indian innings.
India made three notable changes to their playing XI. Jasprit Bumrah has been rested, with Akashdeep making his debut in his place. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar have also been drafted into the team. Sai Sudharsan and Shardul Thakur have been left out for this Test. England, on the other hand, have retained the same playing XI from their win in the first Test, banking on continuity and form. The pitch at Edgbaston has historically favored teams bowling first, and England will be hoping their decision to field pays off. All eyes will now be on how many runs India can post in their first innings and whether the new team combination proves effective.
India's playing XI:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Akashdeep, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
England's playing XI:
Ben Stokes (captain), Zach Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Brydon Kars, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir