With India firmly in control at 359/3 by the end of day 1, Day 2 is sure to be all about India clocking more wickets on board to go well ahead of the game. Having two solid and stable batsmen at the crease, the visitors are likely to amass another 200-250 runs to through up a mammoth first-innings score. Such a score would enable them to dominate with their bowlers; besides the run-rate they would have scored, it can determine the fate of the match, not to mention the series.
But the path is not entirely smooth. The weather will greatly vary on Day 1, which is sunny and bright, and on Day 2, which will be cloudy and humid. Constant rain has been forecast in both the morning session and the afternoon session at Headingley, and the thick cloud cover that is likely to cover the day might serve to deliver a perfect environment to the England seamers. Although it is still likely that the play will begin on time, swing and seam movement may well be a huge difficulty for the Indian batting ranks with clouds blanketing overhead.
The journey of India on Day 1 was, however, a dream start. Once they were introduced to bat, they made 359 runs with only three wickets down- a situation that most of the teams would have envisaged at the beginning of a long tour abroad. The most outstanding performance of the day was by Shubman Gill who made his mark in his first innings as the Test captain with a brilliant 2nd century in the international game. Opening at No.4 where he did not have to face the new ball at all, Gill was confident and assertive before converting the poor balls into boundaries effortlessly.
Yashasvi Jaiswal also played a very pivotal part in the whole match and shared a partnership of 129 with Gill, laying a solid foundation. Provided India could survive the hazardous morning session, there is a chance that they would compile a match-winning score.
Join our whatsapp group for Latest updates
Click Here for Chhattisgarh News
Click Here for Entertainment News