What happened on Day 2 of the 1st IND vs ENG 2024 Test?

Team India maintained their ascendancy in the first Test against England being played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Resuming their first innings at 119/1 in response to England’s 246, they went to stumps on Day 2 on Friday, January 26 at 421/7, with a healthy lead of 175. KL Rahul (86) and Ravindra Jadeja (81*) were the star performers of the day for the hosts.

India began the day with opener Yashasvi Jaiswal unbeaten on 76 off 70. However, he perished in the first over of Day 2 to Joe Root for 80. After lofting the off-spinner for a four, he chipped a return catch while trying another attacking stroke.

Shubman Gill, who was not out on 14 off 43 overnight, undid all his hard work as he holed out to midwicket for 23, giving Tom Hartley his maiden Test wicket. Rahul, however, anchored the Indian innings, adding 64 for the fourth wicket with Shreyas Iyer (35) and 65 for the fifth wicket with Jadeja.

Rahul looked in sublime touch, hitting Mark Wood for three fours in the 36th over. He eased to his half-century, getting there with a single off Root, even as Shreyas settled in at the other end. India went to lunch on Day 2 in a great position at 222/3.

Like Gill, Shreyas also failed to convert his start and fell to Rehan Ahmed early in the second session, slog-sweeping the leg-spinner to deep midwicket. Rahul and Jadeja then featured in another solid alliance, not allowing England to crawl back into the contest. The former showed signs of aggression by whacking Ahmed for two sixes in an over to bring up the team’s 250.

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Jadeja guides India after Rahul misses out on a well-deserved ton

The well-set Rahul looked good for a hundred, but fell 14 short of it. He became Hartley's second Test victim, pulling a half-tracker from the left-arm spinner to deep midwicket. The experienced Indian batter’s fine knock featured eight fours and two sixes.

There was no respite for England, though, as Jadeja continued to frustrate the visitors. He reached yet another defiant half-century and added 68 runs for the sixth wicket with Srikar Bharat, who contributed what could be a career-defining 41. Coming into the Test with a lot of question marks over his batting ability, he offered good resistance before a rush of blood saw him being trapped lbw by Root.

On a tough day on the field, England were gifted a wicket as Ravichandran Ashwin (1) was run out following a disastrous mix-up with his spin bowling partner Jadeja. The latter was then joined by Axar Patel (35*) and the duo took India to stumps without any further damage, adding 63* for the eighth wicket.

Axar asserted the hosts’ dominance on Day 2, slapping the last three balls from Hartley for 4,6,4.