Rain delays India's bid for win over England in second Test
But 20 minutes before the scheduled 11:00 am local (1000 GMT) start, a huge downpour in Birmingham at an already overcast Edgbaston left puddles on the outfield, although the pitch and square were fully covered.
This match has so far been a triumph for India captain Shubman Gill, who on Saturday became the first batsman in Test history to post scores of 250 and 150 in the same match.
The 25-year-old followed his majestic 269 in the first innings with a dashing 161 off just 162 balls in the second.
His first-innings masterclass was the cornerstone of India's 587 after England captain Ben Stokes sent India into bat.
England managed 407 in reply, thanks mainly to an extraordinary stand of over 300 runs between Jamie Smith (184 not out) and Harry Brook (158).
India pacemen Mohammed Siraj (6-70) and Akash Deep (4-88) kept England in check.
Gill's 161 was the centrepiece of India's 427-6 declared, with Siraj and Deep combining to take three England wickets before Saturday's close. Ollie Pope was 24 not out and Brook 15 not out at stumps.
England lead the five-match series after chasing down a target of 371 at Headingley last week.
But they now face a far tougher task at Edgbaston, with a draw seemingly the best they can hope for.
No side has ever made more to win in the fourth innings of a Test than the West Indies' 418 against Australia at St John's in 2003.
The third Test at Lord's starts on Thursday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
7 hours ago
- France 24
Swiatek into Wimbledon quarter-finals
Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam winner, has never made the Wimbledon final. But the 24-year-old is in a strong position in the second week of the tournament after the exit of so many of the top seeds. In the last eight, Swiatek will face Russian 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova, who beat Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 7-5, 7-5 to reach her first Grand Slam quarter-final. "Honestly it's pretty amazing. It's the first time I really enjoyed London. Sorry guys!" Swiatek said of her previous Wimbledon woes. "We are tennis players, so we feel well off the court when we feel well on the court." Swiatek has lost in the semi-finals of both the Australian and French Opens this year. But world number one Aryna Sabalenka is the only one of the top six women's seeds still standing. Although Swiatek has reached only one All England Club quarter-final, she made the Bad Homburg final on grass recently and also won the Wimbledon junior title. Following her run at Bad Homburg, Swiatek admitted playing on grass had never been easy for her as she said "maybe there is hope for me" on the surface. Despite her grass-court fears, the former world number one is three wins away from adding the Wimbledon trophy to her four French Open crowns and one US Open title. Swiatek's cause was helped by Tauson's struggles on Court One as the Dane complained about the slippier court and called for a medical time-out between sets. "Clara said at the net she wasn't feeling well. I hope she is going to be fine," Swiatek said.
France 24
9 hours ago
- France 24
Djokovic survives scare to reach Wimbledon quarters, Sinner in action
Seven-time champion Djokovic endured a nightmare start to his last-16 match against the Australian 11th seed on Centre Court, but eventually battled back to win 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Fresh from his 100th win at Wimbledon on Saturday -- making him the third player to achieve that feat after Martina Navratilova and Roger Federer -- Djokovic reached his 16th quarter-final at the tournament. Aged 38, Djokovic is aiming to win a record 25th major title, breaking a tie with the long-retired Margaret Court, and a record-equalling eighth men's crown at the All England Club. That would make him the oldest Grand Slam singles champion in the Open era. "It wasn't a great start for me, it was a great start for Alex de Minaur obviously. I kind of reset myself in the second set," Djokovic said. "I was very pleased to hang in tough in the right moments and win this one." Sixth-seeded Djokovic's 101st victory at Wimbledon came under the gaze of Federer, who was sitting in the front row of the royal box alongside his wife Mirka. "It's probably the first time he's watching me and I've won the match," said Djokovic. "The last couple I lost, so good to break the curse. "No, it's great, obviously, great to have Roger, a huge champion and someone that I admired and respected a lot. "We shared the stage for so many years, and it's great to have him back." Sinner in the groove In the last eight, Djokovic faces Italian 22nd seed Flavio Cobolli, who defeated former Wimbledon runner-up Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3). The 23-year-old will be playing in his Grand Slam quarter-final having never advanced past the third round in his seven previous appearances at the majors. While defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is yet to consistently find his top form at the tournament, Sinner has been dominant on the grass. The three-time Grand Slam champion, who takes on Bulgarian 19th seed Grigor Dmitrov on Monday, is looking to reach his maiden Wimbledon final. He has dropped just 17 games in his first three matches, equalling Jan Kodes' 1972 record for the lowest number of games lost on route to the Wimbledon last 16. Iga Swiatek, a five-time major winner, has never reached a Wimbledon final but the Pole is in a strong position in the second week of the tournament after the exit of so many of the top seeds. Although Swiatek, who plays Danish 23rd seed Clara Tauson in the last 16, has reached only one All England Club quarter-final, she made the Bad Homburg final on grass recently and also won the Wimbledon junior title. Russian seventh seed Mirra Andreeva, who is just 18 years old, can reach the Wimbledon quarters for the first time if she defeats American 10th seed Emma Navarro, who ended Barbora Krejcikova's reign as champion on Saturday. Former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic reached her maiden Wimbledon quarter-final -- and first at any Grand Slam since 2021 -- with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 victory against Russian world number 17 Ekaterina Alexandrova.
France 24
9 hours ago
- France 24
Djokovic stays on track for Wimbledon glory under Federer gaze
Djokovic was lethargic and unusually tentative in the early stages of his last-16 match against the Australian 11th seed on Centre Court, but eventually found his rhythm to win 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. It keeps the seven-time champion on track for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title, which would be the crowning achievement of an astonishing career. If he wins the crown on Sunday, the 38-year-old Serb would also draw level with Federer's record of eight men's titles at the All England Club. Retired Swiss great Federer watched from the royal box as his long-time rival was given his toughest test of the tournament so far. "It's probably the first time he's watching me and I've won the match," said Djokovic. "The last couple I lost, so good to break the curse. "No, it's great, obviously, great to have Roger, a huge champion and someone that I admired and respected a lot. "We shared the stage for so many years, and it's great to have him back." Sixth seed Djokovic was broken in the first game and conceded two more breaks as De Minaur ran away with the first set. The Serb committed 16 unforced errors, including four double faults in the opener. Djokovic broke immediately at the start of the second set but then became bogged down in a game lasting nearly 19 minutes, which De Minaur won on his sixth break point. Both players struggled to hold onto their serve in an attritional battle but Djokovic, pleading for support from the crowd, held his nerve to level the match, letting out a roar as De Minaur went long. The third set went with serve until the ninth game, when De Minaur skewed a forehand wide to concede the crucial break. De Minaur found new inspiration in the fourth set, surging into a 4-1 lead but crumbled at the pivotal moment as Djokovic fought back, reeling off five games in a row to seal the win in three hours and 18 minutes. "I'm still trying to process the whole match and what happened on the court," he said. "It wasn't a great start for me, it was a great start for him obviously. "I was just very pleased to hang in tough in the right moments and win this one." Djokovic's tally of 16 Wimbledon quarter-finals is second only to Federer's total of 18 in men's tennis. He will play Italian 22nd seed Flavio Cobolli in the last eight, with a potential semi-final looming against world number one Jannik Sinner.
