Yashasvi Jaiswal Praises Birmingham Pitch After Dominant Day for India in 2nd Test Against England

Yashasvi Jaiswal highlights reduced seam and bounce at Birmingham compared to Leeds as India posts 310/5, led by Gill’s century and his own brisk 87

Birmingham [UK], July 3: Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal praised the Birmingham surface after delivering another strong batting performance in the second Test against England, emphasizing that the seam movement and bounce here were noticeably milder compared to the Leeds pitch. His aggressive 87-run knock and Shubman Gill’s unbeaten century powered India to a commanding 310/5 at stumps on Day 1, setting the tone for a high-scoring innings.

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Jaiswal on Pitch Conditions and Adaptation

Speaking at the end-of-day press conference, Jaiswal shared his observations on the contrasting conditions between Leeds and Birmingham.
“I feel it is a little different, of course, here in Birmingham compared to Leeds,” he said. “The seam movement was more there, and it’s a little less here. The bounce was more in Leeds as well. So there’s a lot of difference in the environment too. We just need to adapt.”

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India’s Strong Start Anchored by Jaiswal and Gill

India, put into bat after losing the toss, faced early pressure with the dismissal of KL Rahul for just 2. But Jaiswal (87 off 107 balls, 13 fours) and Karun Nair (31 off 50 balls, 5 fours) stitched together an 80-run stand that stabilized the innings.

Following Nair’s dismissal, Jaiswal partnered with skipper Shubman Gill for another valuable 66-run stand, which further consolidated India’s position. Although India lost Rishabh Pant (25) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (1) in quick succession, Gill’s masterful, unbeaten 114 off 216 balls (12 fours) and Ravindra Jadeja’s composed 41 off 67* ensured India ended the day in control with a 99-run unbroken partnership.

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Jaiswal Confident About India’s Position

Reflecting on India’s day-one performance, Jaiswal noted:
“I think we ended with a very good score. Both the batsmen are doing quite a good job. We’ll try to keep playing as long as we can, and I hope everything goes well,” he concluded, confident about India’s prospects heading into Day 2.

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England’s Bowling Effort

England’s bowling was led by Chris Woakes, who claimed 2/59. Skipper Ben Stokes, Shoaib Bashir, and Brydon Carse picked up one wicket each but were unable to break the key partnerships that defined India’s innings.

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What Lies Ahead

With India already past the 300-run mark and five wickets still in hand, the visitors will aim to capitalize on the solid platform and extend their advantage on Day 2. With Gill well-set and Jadeja looking steady, India eyes a first-innings total that could prove decisive in this five-day clash.