And with that, a gripping and record-laden day of Test cricket draws to a close. India sit firmly in control, and as we head into the all-important ‘Moving Day’, their focus will be on tightening the screws, targeting early wickets and, crucially, dislodging the world’s top two Test batters. England, meanwhile, will look to dig deep and extend this stand for as long as possible. Day 3 promises plenty of intrigue, and it is scheduled to begin at 3.30 pm IST (10 am GMT). But cricketing action continues as in St. George's, Grenada, the 2nd Test between West Indies and Australia is in progress. You can simply switch the tabs and follow all the live action of Day 1 there. Until then, take care.

Shubman Gill, the star on Day 2 and India's captain, is down for a chat. He says that he is still on a high and he hadn't even practiced his slip fielding in the past two days and is happy that he took that catch. On his knock, he says that when he came into bat, he was watchful and was on 30-40 odd off 100 balls and then had a chat with one of the coaches as he was disappointed with too many shots going straight to the fielders and was told to just make sure that he bats long and avoid any sort of a collapse. Adds that he has worked on his technique and earlier on he was getting starts but lost his focus at the peak time and he when back to the basics before this tour and focused on just making runs, which was missing a bit. Gill also informs that he started practicing even when the IPL was going on as the two formats require different skills and he wanted to be properly ready for this series. Reckons that you can go back to T20 cricket after playing Tests but coming into a Test match after playing plenty of T20s is difficult. On the playing surface, Gill says that as the ball starts to get old, it will get easier to bat, so it is important to keep hitting their lines and lengths for a prolonged period and frustrate the batters.

England's top order, having spent over 150 overs in the field, looked visibly drained and ragged in their responses. Siraj backed up Akash Deep with a probing spell, and England soon slumped to 25 for 3. Harry Brook, too, had a jittery start and survived a close appeal while on 1, but with the calming presence of Joe Root at the other end, the two Yorkshire men prevented any further loss of a wicket with an unbeaten 52-run stand.

England’s bowlers showed great commitment, but they might reflect on a missed opportunity in their plan of attack. Persisting with the short-ball tactic for long spells on a slow surface meant the stumps weren't on target. In contrast, India’s bowlers came out with a spring in their step, full of energy and fire. They hit their lengths from the outset and applied pressure straight away. The biggest challenge for India with the ball was stepping up in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. But Akash Deep embraced the responsibility with a spirited burst, removing both Duckett and Pope, centurions in the last Test, within successive deliveries, setting the tone early.

The final session capped off a commanding day for India, with Shubman Gill once again at the center of gravity. Carrying the weight of past collapses, he batted with the awareness of someone who knew what was at stake. Calm and composed, he kept the innings on track alongside Washington Sundar, as the pair stitched together a gritty 144-run stand. Sundar eventually departed, having played his part in stretching the score ahead. Shortly after, Gill’s marathon knock came to an end at 269, India added only a few more before the innings wrapped up, having made England work through 151 punishing overs in the heat. Bashir picked up three, while Tongue and Woakes shared four between them.

Post-lunch, Gill found an able ally in Washington Sundar, whose calm presence at number eight gave India the cushion to build deeper. England rotated bowlers, brought in spin, and even took a punt with Brook, but nothing stopped the Indian captain’s charge. Gill converted his double ton into a majestic 250, leading India into Tea with unwavering control and a tail still intact. Gill also became the sixth Indian skipper to get past the 200-run mark in an inning and also walked past several records, leapfrogging some of the greatest names ever to have graced the sport of cricket.

Starting the day with a ball that refused to talk and a surface that invited run-making, Gill and Jadeja built steadily. The partnership went past 200, Jadeja collected his 23rd Test fifty, and runs flowed without resistance. England tried everything, from a prolonged short-ball ploy to strategic spread fields, but struggled to make inroads. Josh Tongue eventually broke through with a sharp lifter to remove Jadeja on 89, late in the morning, and minimal hints of turn and uneven bounce began to surface.

SESSION SUMMARY - 30 Overs, 100 Runs, 6 Wickets. A very good day at business for the tourists as they claim all three sessions of the day, painting them all blue. A clinical display, first with the bat and then with the ball, as the day draws to a close. For England, it’s been a long, grinding shift. They spent nearly two and a half sessions in the field today, and close to six sessions overall with the ball. On the session pie, India clearly dominate with five sessions out of six so far, with just one ending evenly shared.

Time for the final over the day. Prasidh Krishna to wrap it up.

Harry Brook doing everything possible to take his time and stretch this over as long as possible. Rishabh Pant registers his displeasure to the leg umpire as Harry Brook plays the delaying tactics. Does a bit of gardening midway on the pitch as he taps his bat on the patches, and readies himself for the next ball.