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Gill, Akash and Smith shine; Reddy, Pope disappoint: Rating Indian and English players' performances at Edgbaston
India's Shubman Gill and Akash Deep and England's Jamie Smith have been the top performers in the second Test at Edgbaston. Reuters
And so to Lord's, the series squared at 1-1, England comprehensively outplayed by India who wrapped things up with ease on a largely overcast Day Five. In terms of runs it was India's second largest victory on English soil, only eclipsed by their win over England at Headingley in 2002.
Much was made of India's curious team selection for this match, including admittedly by this correspondent, but in the end it proved fairly inconsequential, the tourists dominating England practically from start to finish.
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But how did the individual players perform in this one-sided affair? Here we rate the players on both sides of this Test.
England
Zak Crawley - 2
Contributed very little with the bat, bagging a second innings duck with an ill-advised wafty shot right when a bit of concentration and application was needed. Also guilty of dropping Rishabh Pant when he was on just 10.
Ben Duckett - 3
After the highs of Headingley a return to earth. One of England's six first innings ducks and then got a good ball in the second dig just as he looked to be putting India under some pressure.
Ollie Pope - 2
A first-ball duck in the first innings and a very scratchy looking 24 in the second will have done nothing to silence his doubters.
Joe Root - 4
An uncharacteristically quiet Test for England's premier batsman, although got a superb ball to dismiss him in the second innings.
Harry Brook - 8
Fairly blameless in this one. Made 158 in the 303 run partnership with Jamie Smith that was about the only positive for England.
Harry Brook and Jamie Smith shared a mammoth 303-run stand for the sixth wicket that helped England post 407 from 84/5 in their first innings at Edgbaston. Reuters
Ben Stokes (c) - 3
His decision at the toss backfired, he made the first golden duck of his career and was fairly inconsequential with the ball. A Test to forget for the England skipper.
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Jamie Smith (wk) - 9
England's standout performer with 184* and 88 across both innings. His batting was really about the only thing that went well for England.
Chris Woakes - 5
Looked dangerous at the start of the match and was unlucky not to pick up more early wickets, but after that was fairly innocuous. Provided nothing with the bat and his second innings dismissal did nothing to dispel the idea that he is shaky against the short ball.
Brydon Carse - 6
Probably the pick of England's bowlers in a not very competitive field, but showed nothing like the same threat as India's attack.
Josh Tongue - 5
Did at least wheedle out some top order wickets this time, but was expensive with the ball and never really seemed to put India under much pressure.
Shoaib Bashir - 4
Picked up a few cheap wickets but never really seemed to threaten India and at times looked like the second best spinner in the side after Root.
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India
Yashasvi Jaiswal - 7
Will be disappointed not to have cashed in more on a batter's paradise of a pitch, but made a punchy 87 in the first innings and seems to always have England under pressure.
KL Rahul - 6
Looks in good touch so far in this series and made a good second innings 50.
Karun Nair - 5
Perhaps the one weak-looking spot in India's top order. Failed to kick on after making starts in both innings.
Shubman Gill (c) - 10
Simply superb. The first man in Test history to make a double hundred and a 150 in the same game. Captained India to a romping win.
Rishabh Pant (wk) - 7
Unmissable when at the crease, his second innings 65 was arguably the most entertaining part of the Test.
Nitish Kumar Reddy - 2
Brought in to strengthen India's batting, made just two of the 1,014 runs India managed across both innings on an absolute featherbed.
Ravindra Jadeja - 8
Excellent with the bat, making 50s in both innings and was unlucky not to take more wickets. A constant thorn in England's side.
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Washington Sundar - 6
His selection did strengthen India's tail and provided a useful second spin option, chipping in with some handy wickets.
Akash Deep - 9
Despite the helpful batting conditions looked a real threat to England's batsman, particularly in the second innings where he picked up the first five-fer of his career.
Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj accounted for 17 of the 20 English wickets that fell at Edgbaston, with the former collecting 10 for 187 runs. Image: BCCI
Mohammed Siraj - 8
Jasprit who? Led the attack well in the absence of his more storied colleague and his first innings 6/70, included cleaning up England's tail for next to nothing which was arguably the crucial point in the match.
Prasidh Krishna - 6
The least threatening of India's bowlers, but still largely looked more dangerous than anything England had to offer.

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Hindustan Times
44 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Sachin Tendulkar can't keep calm after Shubman Gill wins first Test as captain, Sourav Ganguly reminds 'without Bumrah'
India's long wait for a Test victory at Edgbaston came to an emphatic end on Sunday, as Akash Deep's 10-wicket match haul and Shubman Gill's batting masterclass powered the visitors to a 336-run win over England in the second Test. The result not only levelled the five-match series 1-1 but also marked India's biggest-ever overseas Test victory by a margin of runs. India players celebrate after teammate Mohammed Siraj takes the catch of Josh Tongue (9th wicket) of England during Day 5 of the 2nd test match, at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Sunday(@BCCI X) Set a world-record 608 to win, England folded for 271 shortly before Tea on Day 5, with pacer Akash Deep delivering a dream performance, 6/99 in the second innings to go with his four-wicket burst in the first. The 28-year-old, who was only drafted into the XI after Jasprit Bumrah was rested, ripped through England's top order and came back to dismiss the in-form Jamie Smith on 88 to effectively seal India's win. The catch was taken by none other than Gill, symbolically finishing the game that was stamped by his leadership and batting. Former India batter and cricketing great Sachin Tendulkar was impressed by the side's dominant performance, writing, "A Shublime innings from the man of the moment! Congratulations, @ShubmanGill, on powering India to a brilliant Test victory! @RishabhPant17, @klrahul, and @imjadeja batted very well, especially in the 2nd innings. "India's approach was to take England out of this game and force them to play differently, making sure that there would only be 1 winner. "What impressed me most about the bowlers was the length they bowled. Needless to say, Akash Deep was the standout bowler, and in my opinion, he bowled the ball of the series to Joe Root. P.S.: Enjoyed the catch taken by Mohammad 'Jonty' Siraj." India had never previously won a Test at Edgbaston in eight previous attempts, losing seven. It was also the venue where England chased down their record fourth-innings target of 378 in 2022 against India. This time, however, there was no comeback for Ben Stokes' men. 'What a performance from Shubman Gill and his team… with the bat and now with the ball.. Akash Deep and Siraj just brilliant. Indian attack looking far superior than the English attack… Akash Deep and Siraj are workhorses. India win without Bumrah… Can't be better result with the fantastic Gill in charge. What a fantastic batting effort..,' former India captain Sourav Ganguly wrote on his X profile. An all-round performance The five-day Test was headlined by Gill's majestic 269 in the first innings and a whirlwind 161 off 162 in the second. His aggregate of 430 runs in the match is among the highest ever by a visiting captain in England. The 24-year-old also marshalled his troops brilliantly, using his bowlers wisely, especially on Day 5 when he rotated Akash Deep, Siraj, and spinners tactically after the rain delay. 'Well done, Team India on an exceptional victory! It was amazing to see the team's fighting spirit and resilience. Congratulations Shubman on an outstanding match with the bat and for leading the team with such poise. A great start to your captaincy. Also great effort from Siraj and Akash Deep. Wishing you all the best for your future matches. #ENGvIND,' former India batter VVS Laxman wrote. India now heads to the Lord's with renewed belief and momentum. While Bumrah is set to return for the third Test, Gill and Deep's performances have ensured that India's bench strength and future are in safe hands.


India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
"Not Gumrah without Bumrah": Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh among stars congratulating Team India on historic Birmingham win
Birmingham [UK], July 6 (ANI): The Indian cricketing fraternity expressed happiness as Team India broke their winless streak at Birmingham, with standout efforts from skipper Shubman Gill, Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj sealing their first-ever win at Edgbaston Stadium on Sunday. It was a complete team effort, be it 269 and 161 from skipper Gill, Akash Deep's ten-wicket haul, Siraj's six-wicket haul in the first innings or Ravindra Jadeja's twin fifties, every effort counted as Team India levelled the five-match series 1-1. Indian batting legend and ex-Test captain Virat Kohli hailed Team India for being 'fearless and kept pushing England to the wall.' 'Great victory for India at Edgbaston. Fearless and kept pushing England to the wall. Brilliantly led by Shubhman with the bat and in the field, and impactful performances from everyone. Special mention to Siraj and Akash for the way they bowled on this pitch. @ShubmanGill @mdsirajofficial #AkashDeep.' The former World Cup-winning all-rounder Yuvraj Singh also hailed skipper Gill for showing 'maturity beyond his years'. 'Winning a Test in England is about showing heart when it gets tough! No @Jaspritbumrah93, away from home, backs to the wall, and still, the boys found a way! #AkashDeep was fearless and unplayable, and @ShubmanGill showed maturity beyond his years! That's the kind of win you remember. On to the next and grab the series, boys!' Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag hailed Siraj, Akash Deep and Gill for their efforts. 'Outstanding win in Birmingham. While this should be remembered as the Shubman Gill Test match for his incredible 430 runs, the efforts from Siraj in the first innings and Akash Deep in both innings on a surface which didn't have much for the bowlers were an outstanding effort. Well done, team,' posted Sehwag on X. Former Indian captain Saurav Ganguly hailed the team and also the 'workhorses' Akash Deep and Siraj. 'What a performance from shubman gill and his team.. with the bat and now with the and Siraj just brilliant .indian attack looking far superior than the English attack .. Akasdeep and Siraj are workhorses. India win without can't be a better result with the fantastic Gill in charge. What a fantastic batting effort.. @bcci @ShubmanGill,' he posted. Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan also hailed the team, posting, 'India India India. Gill Gill Gill. Creating history in Birmingham.' Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar also posted, 'India not 'Gumrah'without Bumrah. #AkashDeep'. Coming to the match, England once again opted to field first. After getting KL Rahul (2) early, a 80-run stand between Yashasvi Jaiswal (87 in 107 balls, with 13 fours) and Karun Nair (31 in 50 balls, with five fours) helped India gain some footing in the match. Skipper Shubman Gill had valuable partnerships of 203 runs with Ravindra Jadeja (89 in 137 balls, with 10 fours and a six) and a 144-run stand against Washington Sundar (42 in 103 balls, with three fours and a six), helping India towards 587, scoring 269 in 387 balls himself, with 30 fours and three sixes. Shoaib Bashir (3/167) was the pick of the bowlers for England, while Chris Woakes and Josh Tongue also managed two England's first innings, India had them on the ropes with 84/5. However, a 303-run stand between Harry Brook (158 in 234 balls, with 17 fours and a six) and wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith (184* in 207 balls, with 21 fours and four sixes) sent India on an endless hunt for leather and answers. However, Siraj (6/70) and Akash Deep (4/88) got something out of the new ball and tumbled down the last five wickets for 20 runs, bundling them down for 407 runs, gaining a 180-run lead. India's response was a swift half-century partnership between Jaiswal (28 in 22 balls, with six fours) and KL Rahul, who also continued his good run with a 10-boundary-filled 55 in 84 balls. A 110-run stand for the fourth wicket between Rishabh Pant (65 in 58 balls, with eight fours and three sixes) and Gill upped the attack, while Gill managed yet another epic 175-run stand with Jadeja, scoring 161 in 162 balls, with 13 fours and eight sixes. Jadeja scored an unbeaten 69* in 118 balls, with five fours and a six. India declared at 427/6, leading by 607 runs and setting England a monstrous 608 runs to win. During the run-chase, England was restricted to 50/3. Jamie Smith (88 in 99, with nine fours and four sixes) was the only glimmer of hope for England as they were skittled out for just 271 runs, losing by 336 runs, thanks to a brilliant spell from Akash Deep (6/99), who ended up taking a ten-fer. Gill took home the 'Player of the Match' honours as India levelled the series 1-1. (ANI)


India Today
3 hours ago
- India Today
Shubman Gill trolls stats talk after Edgbaston win: Where's my favourite journalist?
Shubman Gill was eloquent, composed, and affable after securing his maiden Test victory as captain. Speaking to the press after India's historic win in Birmingham - their first-ever at Edgbaston - Gill lit up the room with well-timed, articulate responses. He was as assured at the microphone as he had been with the bat, amassing 430 runs across two innings to lead India's stirring comeback in the Anderson-Tendulkar had lost the series opener in Leeds despite scoring over 800 runs, as England chased down 371 in the fourth innings with their trademark aggressive flair. Heading into the second Test, the odds were firmly against Gill's side - India had never won a Test in Birmingham in nine previous stat had been brought up by a journalist when Gill addressed the media on the eve of the second Test. Having silenced doubters with a collective team performance - despite the absence of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah - Gill was in a light-hearted mood at the press conference on Sunday, 7 July."I can't see my favourite journalist. Where is he? I wanted to see him," Gill said, a friendly smile lighting up his face."I even said before the Test match that I don't really believe in history and stats. Over the last 56 years or so, we've played nine matches - different teams have come here. I believe we are the best team to have come here in England, and we have the capability to beat them, to win the series from here. If we keep making the right decisions and keep fighting, I think it would be one of the series to remember," he BUMRAH? NO PROBLEM, SAYS GILLIndia produced one of their most dominant away Test performances. Gill led from the front with scores of 269 and 161, shouldering the batting responsibility with maturity. He was well supported by Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant, who played crucial roles in India posting over 1,000 runs across the two bowling unit stepped up in Bumrah's absence. When it was announced that the fast-bowling talisman would be rested for Birmingham, many pundits wrote off India's chances. Notably, India had lost the Leeds Test despite Bumrah featuring in the Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj rose to the occasion, delivering one of the finest fast-bowling performances by an Indian duo on a flat English pitch. Akash finished with 10 wickets, becoming only the second Indian to achieve a 10-wicket match haul in a Test in England. Siraj had set the tone with a six-wicket haul in the first innings, helping India secure a crucial 180-run then completed the demolition, claiming six in the second innings as England folded for 271 while chasing an improbable underlined the team's confidence in its bowling strength, with or without Bumrah."I think I said this before the match as well - this Indian team is one of the best to have toured England. The best 16 are chosen to play for the country. I believe all our bowlers have the ability to chip in at any time and help us take 20 wickets. Definitely, Jasprit bhai is one of the best bowlers in the world. But regardless of that, any bowling unit of ours can take 20 wickets anywhere - and this was an example of that," Gill said.'I NEEDED TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE'advertisementHe also acknowledged the need to lead by example, particularly after having been critical of India's top order for failing to convert hundreds into match-defining knocks in Leeds - a game where four Indian batters crossed the three-figure mark, yet the team failed to was no such lapse this time. Gill's twin tons, combined with India's all-round effort, ensured there was no room for an English comeback."When you're the captain, I think you need to lead by example. So that whenever there's another player in that situation, you can command to that player that this is what the team requires right now - you have to put the team ahead rather than trying you put the team first, you always walk on the right path. That's what I wanted to do: If a good ball gets me out, it's okay, but as long as I am there, I want to stay as long as possible," he now head to the third Test at Lord's, starting 10 July, with momentum firmly in their favour. Gill confirmed that Bumrah, rested for the second Test, will return for the marquee clash at the Home of Cricket.- EndsYou May Also Like