Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep. (Photo source: BCCI)
India registered a commanding 336-run victory over England in the second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy on July 6 at Edgbaston, Birmingham, marking their first-ever win at the iconic ground and their biggest away Test victory by runs.
India put to bat first despite the absence of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, and piled on a massive 587 in the first innings. The skipper Shubman Gill led from the front, scoring a magnificent 269 that included 33 boundaries. Yashasvi Jaiswal (87) and Ravindra Jadeja (89) also made vital contributions. For England, Shoaib Bashir was the most successful bowler with three wickets.
In response, The Three Lions posted 407, thanks to Harry Brook’s 158 and Jamie Smith’s unbeaten 184. However, the rest of the batting line-up collapsed, with six batters dismissed for ducks. Indian seamers shone, with Mohammed Siraj taking 6 for 70 and Akash Deep picking up 4 for 88.
In the third innings, the Indian team declared their second innings at 427/6, setting a massive target of 608 for the Bazball-inspired . Gill once again starred with a fluent 161, supported by KL Rahul (55), Rishabh Pant (65), and Jadeja (69*). Bashir and Josh Tongue picked up two wickets each, while Brydon Carse also had two to his tally for Englishmen to chase it down.
In the final innings, the Ben Stokes-led England were bowled out for 271 despite a fighting knock of 88 from Jamie Smith, who looked the most comfortable batter at the crease for the hosts on the final day of the match. Akash Deep returned with sensational figures of 6 for 99, taking his match tally to 10 for 187, the best match figures by an Indian in a Test in England, surpassing Chetan Sharma’s 10/188 at the same venue, way back in 1986.
This comfortable win also ended India's long wait for a win at Edgbaston, which came in their 19th attempt at the historic venue. Captain Gill also made history by becoming the youngest Indian captain to win a Test overseas at 25 years and 301 days, breaking Sunil Gavaskar’s previous record set in 1976 at Auckland. He was also named Player of the Match for his 430 runs across the match.
India’s emphatic performance has levelled the five-match series at 1-1, with the third Test scheduled to begin on July 10 at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.
Check out the funniest memes from India's historic victory at Edgbaston against England
