• Second Test, D3: India 587 and 64-1; England 407

• Wicketkeeper hits unbeaten 184 but India in charge

Pressure? What pressure? Or to pinch a line from Keith Miller, the great Australian all-rounder and a fighter pilot during the second world war: “There is no pressure in Test cricket. Real pressure is when you are flying a Mosquito with a Messerschmitt up your arse.”

Notwithstanding this old truism, there was still a fair bit on the line when Jamie Smith strode out to middle at 11.12am here on the third morning. Joe Root had been uncharacteristically strangled down leg, Ben Stokes had been blown away by a brutish first ball and Mohammed Siraj, a fiery fast bowler known to get on a roll, was eyeing up a hat-trick. Oh, and England were 84 for five, 503 runs behind India’s first innings.

• India 587; England 77-3

• Akash Deep removes both Duckett and Pope for ducks

The last time a visiting skipper in England notched up a double century was Graeme Smith in 2003 and it prompted Nasser Hussain to fall on his sword mid-series. Smith – or “what’s-his-name” as Hussain called him beforehand – was a captain killer on these shores, his South Africa team accounting for Michael Vaughan five years later.

Ben Stokes at least knew Shubman Gill’s name before this series and, in fairness, the England captaincy is unlikely to change hands in the next week. Nevertheless, Gill inflicted one of the toughest days of Stokes’ three years in charge as his chanceless and downright merciless 269 from 387 balls drove India to a position of dominance.

• Second Test, day one: India 310-5 v England

• Gill adds second century of series as tourists rack up runs

At the end of a sluggish first day in which just 85 overs were sent down, both sides could feel happier than the slightly short-changed punters.

India? They had been stuck in and responded with 310 for five courtesy of Shubman Gill’s second century of the series. England? Well, they never get too hung up by the runs column and, after last week’s win at Headingley, no one was claiming to be staggered at Ben Stokes bowling first.

• India yet to decide if fast bowler will play at Edgbaston

• Moeen Ali joins England backroom staff for the match

One of the many delights of leafy south Birmingham is when an international cricket team is in town and residents stumble across them training on the Colts Ground at Edgbaston. Folks could be heading for a stroll in Cannon Hill Park, or their weekly shop at Aldi, only to suddenly find themselves watching Jasprit Bumrah let fly.

Sadly, the fences were covered with tarpaulins after some hecklers over the weekend. There was a decent subplot playing out inside as India trained, too, over whether Bumrah will play the sold-out second Test that starts . Having bowled these past few days, the man himself offered a passing “hopefully”.