Birmingham — India seized control of the opening Test against England at Edgbaston on Wednesday, with opener Yashasvi Jaiswal delivering a commanding performance that left the hosts struggling to find momentum.

After England were bowled out for 245 earlier in the day, India began their reply cautiously but stumbled early. KL Rahul fell LBW to James Anderson, and Karun Nair’s brief stay ended when Mark Wood found a way through his defense. But Jaiswal, composed and confident, steadied the innings.

He marched to a classy 132* and found able support from Shubman Gill and later Ishan Kishan, but it was clear whose innings had set the tone.

England’s bowlers had little to celebrate. The pitch offered something in the air, but the Indian opener was unfazed. Anderson, Wood, and Moeen Ali rotated through spells, but Jaiswal kept finding the gaps, leaving the fielders chasing leather.

With premier match winner Jasprit Bumrah rested from the game, India brought in Akash Deep in his place while making two interesting changes, leaving out Sai Sudharsan for Washington Sundar and replacing Shardul Thakur with Nitish Kumar Reddy.

As the match heads into Day 3, India has built a healthy lead — thanks in large part to Jaiswal’s fluent hundred. For England, the task is simple but steep: break the momentum and find a way back before the game slips too far.