After a poor show by the lower-order batters in the first Leeds Test, Team India scripted a memorable comeback at Birmingham - one for the history books
Yashasvi Jaiswal was "disappointed" on missing a century by a whisker, but amazed by Test captain Shubman Gill's "incredible" effort that powered India to a comfortable position at the end of the opening day of the second Test against England, at Edgbaston, on Wednesday.
Shubman Gill scored a record-breaking 269 and their seamers struck early to put the tourists in a commanding position at Edgbaston on Thursday.
Shubman Gill lauded fast bowlers Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj for stepping up in the absence of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah
The left-hander clobbered eight sixes and five fours in his scintillating 79 off 34 balls as India chased down a modest 133-run target in 12.5 overs.
England have only drawn one from 35 Tests in the McCullum-Stokes regime, with one of their exhilarating run chases in that spell coming when they reached 378 against India in 2022 -- the only time India have lost when defending Test totals of more than 350.
The Indian team also made history at Headingley in the series opener, with five centuries scored in a Test match.
Nitish Kumar Reddy made a promise to himself post the Australia tour that he would improve his bowling.
Jaiswal Blazes, Gill Leads: India's Young Guns Dominate Opening Day
After England were dismissed for a massive 669 runs, pacer Chris Woakes handed early an early jolt to bring the crowds to their feet.
Captain Muhammad Waseem, the UAE's best batter who is known for his aggressive approach and ability to play big shots, got into the act and fetched himself three boundaries in Aamir Kaleem's first over, the 43-year-old left-arm spinner hardly posing any threat as he ended up giving away 14 runs.
After hundreds upon hundreds of runs on flat tracks in the ongoing series so far, it took the green top at The Oval to finally produce the best day of the Indian summer, on the fifth and last Friday of the Test series.
Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar struck unbeaten centuries as India staged a superb fightback on the final day to draw the fourth Test against England.
'Special mention to Siraj, who will put everything on the line for the team. Extremely happy for him.'
Woakes was stranded on nought as Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna took the remaining 4 wickets in an hour's play to help India register a series-levelling 6-run win.
India finished day three of the second Test on 64/1 to lead England by 244 runs after they dismissed the hosts for 407 in the first innings at Edgbaston on Friday.
England gained the upper hand after a rain-hit first day of the final Test, needing victory to square the series, battled to 204-6, with all their big guns dismissed cheaply.
India's experienced opener KL Rahul expressed admiration for vice-captain Rishabh Pant and his dream to replicate the dynamic southpaw's play style following their record-breaking exploits on Day 3 of the third Test against England at Lord's.
In mounting tension, Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton struggled to get bat on ball, surviving several frenzied appeals before the umpires decided it was too dark to continue.
Shubman Gill was "extremely proud" of the fight that his team put up after being down and out but rued the absence of one fifty partnership and Rishabh Pant's first innings run-out in their 22-run defeat against England in the third Test at the Lord's.
IMAGES from Day 4 of the 1st Test between England and India at Headingley in Leeds on Monday.
A superb century from Ben Duckett helped steer England to a sensational five-wicket win in the first Test against India after a thrilling day five on Tuesday.
The 107-run partnership between Jaiswal-Akash Deep was a turning point in India's second innings.
England had moved to within 35 runs of securing a famous victory over India when bad light and torrential rain ended an extraordinary fourth day of the final Test at The Oval on Sunday.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir said his team is still searching for that "perfect game" despite entering the Champions Trophy final with an all-win record. He is hopeful that it will come in the summit clash on Sunday.
In summary, excluding the inactive innings, his recent conversion record reads rather poor with no half-centuries since his eminent legendary debut knock.
Post-lunch, Pant brought up his half-century with a single before launching his third maximum, cementing his reputation as one of the game's most fearless stroke-makers in red-ball cricket.
South Africa have eight wickets in hand and are now overwhelming favourites to finish off the job, and take the title away from champions Australia, who had set them a daunting fourth innings target of 282 in the final on Friday.
England gained the upper hand after a rain-hit first day of the final Test against India at The Oval on Thursday
K L Rahul, the most consistent performer with the bat for the visitors so far in the series, completed 9,000 runs in international cricket across all formats.
'Very very pleasing (with the way the series went). We knew there would be challenges that we could face.'
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 1st Test between England and India at Headingley in Leeds on Saturday.
Conceding that India could not get the first innings score they were looking in the first Test against England, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak felt Rishabh Pant's stroke-filled 134 was different from his usual aggressive knock.
India are favourites to secure victory and draw the series, but England will still fancy their chances of completing what would be by far the highest successful Test run chase at The Oval.
In 113 T20Is and 89 innings, Pandya has 1,803 runs, at an average of 28.17, and a strike rate of 141.63. He has scored five half-centuries, with best score of 71 not out.
His combined figures of 10 for 187 bettered Chetan Sharma's 10 for 188 - a mark set back in 1986.
'Siraj gives everything for India, and it is credit to him for that, the way he approaches cricket.'
Group A includes defending champions India, Pakistan, UAE and Oman, while Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Hong Kong are in Group B.
Root said that it is amazing being a "second fiddle" to Brook and watching his fine shotmaking from the "best seat in the house".
Atkinson, who is playing his first Test of the series following a hamstring strain, said that he is "ready to push the limits" in case Woakes does not take any further part.
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