Karun Nair Watches as Shubman Gill Leads India
Shubman Gill's gritty half-century has been the highlight of the Indian innings so far, and he will be looking to continue his good form and lead the team to a strong total. With the match hanging in the balance, the next few hours of play will be crucial in determining the outcome of the game.
Shubman Gill brings up a gritty half-century, holding firm at one end with 76 not out off 158 balls, guiding the visitors to 238 for 5 at the end of the 67th over, as India face a challenging task against England in the 2nd Test Match.
India are currently 258/5 in 73 overs, with Ravindra Jadeja and Shubman Gill at the crease, chasing a target of 474 to win. England's bowlers have been probing without much reward, but they have managed to pick up 5 wickets, with Josh Tongue and Sam Curran picking up 1 wicket each. The match is currently in the 3rd session of day 1, and India will be looking to consolidate their position and build a strong partnership to recover from the loss of wickets.
Earlier in the day, Rishabh Pant departed for 25 as India lost their fourth wicket at 60.1 overs. Shoaib Bashir tempted Pant with flight, and the left-hander took the bait, attempting a big shot but only managing to find Crawley in the deep. The dismissal came just as things were settling, breaking a promising stand. Nitish Kumar Reddy walked in with India 4 down, but he fell for just 1, bowled by a sharp nip-backer from Chris Woakes.
As the day comes to a close, India will be looking to build on the foundation laid by Shubman Gill and Ravindra Jadeja, and try to get closer to the target of 474. With 5 wickets down, the Indian team will need to dig deep and show their resilience to stay in the game. The English team, on the other hand, will be looking to capitalize on the momentum they have gained and try to wrap up the Indian innings as quickly as possible.