Under cloudless skies at Edgbaston, India reached 98 for 2 by the interval, Yashasvi Jaiswal anchoring with a tidy 62 not out after Ben Stokes had again chosen to bowl first.
The left-hander began watchfully, respecting a hint of early movement from Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse. Once Josh Tongue replaced Woakes, the mood shifted. Jaiswal moved from 16 off 34 to his half-century in the space of 25 balls, a burst that featured three boundaries in each of Tongue’s last two overs. A swivel pull for 49 was followed by a fierce cut that raised a 16th Test fifty; the very next ball was carved past third man for a celebratory four.
India had arrived with three changes. Jasprit Bumrah was rested, Akash Deep handed a debut, and Nitish Reddy and Washington Sundar recalled. Explaining the decision, Shubman Gill said, “the India management felt Lord’s will offer Bumrah more than this track.” It leaves the attack looking lighter on paper, though conditions this morning hinted at lateral movement even without the spearhead.
Woakes deserved more than KL Rahul’s wicket – a painstaking 2 from 26 deliveries – after pinning the opener in front with a nip-backer. Two further lbw shouts were turned down, both surviving on umpire’s call when reviewed. Carse finally broke an 80-run stand six minutes before lunch, hurrying Karun Nair (31) with a hard length that produced a splice to Harry Brook at second slip. Until then Nair had looked compact, taking the lead while Jaiswal settled.
England’s seamers otherwise stuck to their plan: pound a length, keep mid-on and mid-off tight, then deploy the bouncer once the shine faded. Tongue’s radar, though, slipped. His six-over spell cost 34 and allowed India to wrest back tempo. Stokes’ traditional short-ball ploy arrived late; Jaiswal was ready.
From here, India’s middle order – still without Virat Kohli – will want to convert. Jaiswal appears in control, and Washington’s inclusion offers depth. England, meanwhile, need early afternoon wickets before the surface eases further.
At lunch: India 98-2 (Jaiswal 62*, Nair 31; Carse 1-14, Woakes 1-15).
