‘If We Were Even Half As Good’: Shubman Gill Reflects On Missed Chances In First Test, Praises Fielding In Edgbaston Test | Cricket News

India ended Day 2 of the second Test at Edgbaston in a commanding position after posting a mammoth total of 587 in their first innings. In reply, England struggled under pressure and were reduced to 77 for 3 at stumps. Joe Root and Harry Brook will resume proceedings on Day 3 as England looks to recover, while India will aim for more early breakthroughs to maintain control and hunt for their first-ever Test victory at Edgbaston, Birmingham.

Shubman’s Marathon Innings

Leading from the front, Indian captain Shubman Gill produced a masterclass, scoring a phenomenal 269, now the highest score by an Indian captain in Test history. His innings laid the foundation for India’s dominance in the match.

Following the day’s play, Gill highlighted the team’s sharp fielding, which helped secure three crucial wickets. The slip cordon, manned by Karun Nair, KL Rahul, and Gill himself, played a key role, each taking a catch that pushed England further onto the back foot.

In contrast, Gill reflected on India’s poor fielding effort in the first Test at Headingley, where multiple dropped chances, three by Yashasvi Jaiswal and one by Ravindra Jadeja, proved costly. He admitted that a sharper effort in that match could have potentially changed the result.

“Good position to be in. I worked on a few things at the end of the IPL, which was important before heading into Test cricket. Looking at how things have gone so far, it seems to be working for me. I didn’t take any slip catches in the last couple of days because I was batting, but it was nice to get those today,” said Gill.

“Fielding was very important. We discussed that if we were even half as good in the previous game, things could have been different.”

With momentum firmly on their side, India now eyes Day 3 with optimism and an opportunity to assert further dominance in the series. 

England Under Pressure

England’s first innings turned into a nightmare as they lost early wickets, including the last Test’s centurion Ollie Pope, who was dismissed for a golden duck. Joe Root and Harry Brook offered some resistance, stitching together a 52-run stand to steady the innings briefly. At stumps on Day 2, England finished at 77 for 3, still trailing by a massive 510 runs.