Having secured a good five-wicket victory over India in the first Test at Headingley, England came into the second Test in good shape. When India reached Edgbaston, they were much more impressive under the Stand-in captain Shubman Gill. After winning the toss England bowled first, which was a mistake. India lost KL Rahul early on, but Yashasvi Jaiswal steadied the innings with an impressive 87. Along the way, captain Shubman Gill managed to set a new record for the highest score by an Indian captain in a Test match at Edgbaston with a staggering unbeaten score of 269. To cap it off, Ravindra Jadeja struck 89 not out and India were able to post a massive first innings score of 587.

In response, England’s innings got off to a nightmare start despite the absence of India's lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah. Akash Deep, who replaced Bumrah, made an immediate impact by removing opener Ben Duckett for a duck and dismissing Ollie Pope on the very next delivery. Mohammed Siraj further dented England's chase by sending back Zak Crawley in the eighth over. With three quick wickets, the Indian bowling attack put England on the back foot early, leaving them reeling at the close of play on Day 2.

See Also: ENG vs IND: Priyank Panchal explains why Shubman Gill's 269-run knock demands more attention and appreciation

Harry Brook showed off some counterattacking shots to lead England’s fightback as Joe Root played with caution to prevent England sinking further after another wicket fell late on day two. England ended day two on 77/3, with India securing a formidable 510-run lead. This is a considerable amount of runs to be behind, while England assesses its follow-on position, having plenty of wickets left to bat (although only 7 wickets remain). India will look to capitalize on their incredible start and dismiss England's innings as soon as possible to maintain the drive and momentum for a win, aiming to level the series at Edgbaston.

England start Day 2 at a score of 77/3

In Test cricket, a follow-on is enforced if the team batting second trails by at least 200 runs. In the ongoing second Test, England must score a minimum of 387 runs to avoid the follow-on after India’s huge total of 587. With 77 runs already on the board, they still need 310 more to force India to bat again. Achieving this would also help them steer clear of a potential innings defeat. However, the challenge is steep given the scoreboard pressure and India’s potent bowling lineup.

Although Joe Root and Harry Brook are experienced batters who can stabilize an innings, the pitch has begun to wear and the conditions for batting are tougher than they were for the first two days. That surface should be spin-friendly and seems likely to give Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar the opportunity to grab the spotlight. Plus, India's strong pace attack is always around. Day 3 looks like it’s going to be critical to deciding the outcome of the match, whether England can claw their way back and maybe push for a draw, or if India can capitalise on their dominance and push for a result to level the series. If the first session is anything to go by, the second session could be the defining moment in determining the rest of this great match.