India fight back well from the disappointment of their first loss by putting up 310/5 on the first day's play in Birmingham. It was Shubman Gill who stitched things together, playing with immense certainty and control as his second match as captain also saw his second century as captain. Yashasvi Jaiswal with 87 runs of his own, and Ravindra Jadeja also batting on 41* overnight.
It's usually a pretty good sign when a high-profile Test series starts off with an instant classic. It spells good things for the remainder of the long tour, with the bar and the tempo set for the two teams to perform to.
India scored nearly 850 runs, had a first innings lead, had six unique centuries, and conspired to lose; England found their rhythm, a lovely tempo, did what they do best while their identity as a team continues to be polished and grow more and more mature.
What it means is that as the teams head southwards from Leeds and settle in Birmingham, fans will be enticed by the promise of another five days of top-quality, high-excitement Test cricket.
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