Taking full advantage of batting-friendly conditions, Gill and Jadeja put together a commanding 203-run partnership off 279 deliveries. England’s fast bowlers found little help from the surface, allowing Gill (168* off 288 balls) and Jadeja (89 off 137) to dominate the morning session.
India began the day at 310 for five and quickly added 109 runs in just 25 overs, determined to maintain control and avoid another batting collapse similar to the one seen in the second innings at Leeds.
With no significant movement off the pitch, the English bowlers resorted to short-pitched deliveries, but the strategy proved largely ineffective against the well-set Indian pair. The only success came near the end of the session when Josh Tongue delivered a sharp bouncer that Jadeja couldn’t handle, resulting in a catch behind to Jamie Smith.
Batting under clear skies, Jadeja looked in rhythm early on, with a punch off the back foot through cover and a crisp cut off Ben Stokes. Gill opened his boundary account with a shot through third man before delighting fans with a picture-perfect cover drive against Chris Woakes.
Gill even surprised everyone with an uncharacteristic reverse sweep off Shoaib Bashir, later following it up with a six behind square. Jadeja, not to be left behind, danced down the track and launched Bashir for a six over mid-on.
After Jadeja’s dismissal, Washington Sundar joined Gill, and England captain Stokes set a peculiar field — featuring a leg slip and close-in catchers — as Josh Tongue tried to exploit some extra bounce.
