Birmingham: India registered a thumping 336-run win over England in the second Test at Edgbaston on Sunday, marking their first-ever Test triumph at the venue and leveling the five-match series 1-1. The emphatic result was powered by an all-round performance from captain Shubman Gill and a sensational match haul from pacer Akash Deep.
India previously played 8 matches in Birmingham and lost 7 of them, while drawing one. They have finally broken a 58-year jinx of not winning at match there. Chasing a target of 608, England was bundled out for 271 in their second innings.
It was a batting paradise on offer where Gill scored an aggregate 430 with knocks of 269 in the first innings and 161 in the second. The Indian captain has also been adjudged as Player of the Match. Akash Deep duly impressed in the absence of ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah by picking up 10 wickets, including a six-wicket haul in the final innings. Mohammed Siraj too helped the team’s cause with a total of 7 wickets to his name.
While Akash Deep made the early inroads with two quick wickets, Washington Sundar broke the frustrating partnership between Ben Stokes and Jamie Smith, making India’s hold over the game stronger. Jadeja’s clever spells and some sharp catching made sure England were always on the back foot.
The English batting side crumbled under sustained pressure from the Indian seamers, with Akash Deep taking six wickets in the innings and a match total of ten. With Jasprit Bumrah unavailable due to injury, Akash Deep stepped up admirably to lead the attack. But the way Akash Deep (10 wickets in the match) and Mohammed Siraj (7/127) performed, Bumrah was just not missed.
Shubman Gill, leading the side in the absence of Rohit Sharma, delivered a captain’s performance of the highest calibre. His twin centuries made him the youngest Indian captain to win a Test abroad and underlined his growing stature in world cricket.
Akash Deep returned figures of 4/88 in the first innings and followed it up with an ever better show of 6/99 in the second innings. As for England, the best show was a 303-run partnership in the first innings between Jamie Smith (184) and Harry Brook (158). Smith stood out yet again in the second innings, with a strokeful 88 on Sunday. This was England’s top scorer in both innings
The series now heads into a crucial third Test at Lord’s, starting July 10. With momentum firmly in India’s favour, England will look to regroup quickly to avoid conceding the home advantage.
The win has also sparked excitement among Indian fans and former cricketers, many of whom lauded the performance as one of India’s finest overseas Test victories.
BRIEF SCORES
India first innings: 587
India second innings: 427/6 declared
England first innings: 407
England second innings: 271 (Jamie Smith 88, Akashdeep 6/99).
Man of the Match: Shubman Gill (269 & 161).
Result: India won by 336 runs.
Series position: Tied 1-1, 3 matches remaining.
Coming up: Third Test from July 10 at Lord’s.
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