India breach ‘Edgbaston' to level series
Ever since their first Test in the West Midlands ground way back in 1967, the Indians had lost seven and drawn once without tasting a victory in eight tries. That dubious record was set up nicely to be rewritten following four days of complete domination, but the task still had to be completed on the fifth and final day of the second Test. Overnight and morning rain threatened to play spoilsport to their ambitions, but when the sun came out around noon and the skies remained clear, Akash Deep shone like a precious diamond to script a memorable 336-run win.
The 28-year-old Akash, who came in as a replacement for lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah but made a telling impact in the first innings with a superb 4/88 show, led the demolition job in the second with a brilliant 6/99 while the rest of the attack chipped in beautifully by bowling to a plan without losing shape, shutting out England for 271 in the second session.
When the Indians checked into the ground, they were in for a depressing sight as the main square lay covered following persistent rain in the wee hours. Dark clouds were still present while they were warming up before rain lashed the ground as England, who were 72/3 overnight, looked like they may escape with a draw. India hoped and prayed for sunshine and they got their wishes fulfilled, awarded 80 overs to scalp the remaining seven England wickets.
Like he did on the second and fourth evenings, Akash breathed fire on the final morning. Considered a Mohammed Shami doppelganger for his run-up, bowling style and celebration, Akash made the ball spit venom. He got India off to a rollicking start when he dismissed Ollie Pope in the second over of the day with some extra bounce before catching first-innings centurion Harry Brook cold with the classic set-up — outswing, outswing and then a sharp in-swinger. England slumped to 83/5 and they were in deep trouble now. It was no time for their high-octane Bazball but good old-fashioned defensive cricket as saving the game was the only option ahead of them.
Skipper Ben Stokes (33) and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith (88), who bailed England out with a triple-century sixth-wicket partnership with Brook in the first innings, defied India with a stubborn 70-run stand. They mostly defended but pulled out the odd big stroke to frustrate the Indians who didn't drop their guard for a moment. But with the ball having gotten softer and nothing on the pitch, the Indians needed a moment of magic to snap the Smith-Stokes stay. Washington Sundar, a debatable selection for this game, provided that, trapping Stokes leg-before in the last over before lunch.
The Indians came out charging post their meals, but Smith continued to stand like a brick wall, this time with support from Chris Woakes. Time was ticking over, and nervous energy crept in as it suddenly became overcast.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
30 minutes ago
- News18
Akash Deep Channels Grief Into Greatness And Helps India Create History At Edgbaston
Last Updated: Akash Deep's 10-wicket haul helped India to a record 336-run victory over England in Jasprit Bumrah's absence. India's loss in the first Test against England in Leeds had put the team's bowling unit under the scanner. Jasprit Bumrah & Co. failed to pick all 10 English wickets in the second innings, letting the hosts chase down a daunting 371-run target with relative ease. As the team geared up for the next battle in Birmingham, things looked far from promising. Bumrah, the pace spearhead, sat out of the match due to workload management. The big question loomed – how would India win in his absence when they couldn't manage it with him in the XI? Who would have imagined that a group of young cricketers would script a historic win on English soil – and that too without its stalwarts? But on Sunday, Shubman Gill's Team India answered that question emphatically. They crushed England by 336 runs to level the series 1-1 and register a first-ever Test win at Edgbaston. More significantly, India discovered a way to win without Bumrah, and at the heart of that triumph was Akash Deep. Just seven Tests old, Akash was drafted into the playing XI to share new ball duties with Mohammed Siraj, alongside Prasidh Krishna. The combination raised a few eyebrows. But what unfolded over five days was nothing short of magic. Akash tore through England's batting line-up in both innings, claiming his maiden 10-wicket haul in Test cricket. He became only the second Indian fast bowler after Chetan Sharma to achieve this feat in England. He picked 4 for 88 in the first innings and followed it with a brilliant 6 for 90 in the second. The numbers might make him look like a rookie, but behind those figures lies a story of resilience, heartbreaks, and unshakeable belief. Back home, his father dreamed of seeing him in a secure government job – perhaps a constable or even a peon. Akash would fill out those exam forms, but never truly attempted them. Cricket was his calling, even back then. He left Bihar to pursue his dreams, settling in Durgapur, West Bengal, and playing for United Club in the CAB second division league. Just as things were looking up, tragedy struck. In 2015, within a span of six months, he lost both his father and elder brother. The burden of supporting the family fell on his young shoulders. Still, he kept grinding. His breakthrough came in the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy season where he picked 35 wickets, taking Bengal to the final. Four years later, he made his Test debut in the home series against England. Since then, there's been no looking back. With 25 wickets from 8 Tests, his best – 10/187 – came in Birmingham. Yet, behind the smiles lay more pain. Just two months ago, his elder sister was diagnosed with cancer which he disclosed publicly on Sunday night, after the world got to know about his ability in foreign conditions. 'Every time I had the ball in my hand, her thoughts would cross my mind," he revealed on live TV, holding back tears. 'This performance is dedicated to her. I want to tell her, 'Sis, we are all with you.'" Indeed, the hard work and the grind paid off, portraying him as one of the lethal weapons in India's artillery. But picking him at the right time was the key. Ahead of the second Test, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan had told cricketnext that if India are not playing Bumrah in Birmingham, they should get in Akash Deep. It's safe to say now that his prediction was spot on. 'I think, Akash Deep is a right guy [if Bumrah doesn't play]. He is a very much Shami kind of a bowler who has got a straight seam. He can actually beat the batters with surprise. He has got off the pitch zip. So, he is the guy who should be playing and if Bumrah is not playing, great," Pathan had told CricketNext at a select media interaction. Akash Deep didn't just fill in for Jasprit Bumrah – he announced himself to the world. In the toughest conditions, he rose from personal loss to script a fairytale comeback, proving that grit, heart, and belief can turn dreams into history.
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
Former spinner believes Jasprit Bumrah is
New Delhi [India], July 8 (ANI): Former England spinner Monty Panesar believes the 'world's best' Jasprit Bumrah 'must' return to India's final XI ahead of the crucial third Test at the expense of Prasidh Krishna against his former side at the 'Home of Cricket', Lord's. With a spirited performance, India restored parity in the five-match series at 1-1 by orchestrating its maiden Test win at Edgbaston, ending its decades-long victory hiatus. Even after being bereft of Bumrah's services, India left England gobsmacked, courtesy of blistering spells from Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj. Panesar emphasised the gravity of India's famed 336-run triumph in Birmingham, especially in the absence of stalwarts Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin. With the next Test less than 48 hours away, Panesar sees India as favourites to kick off the highly-anticipated affair 'really well.' 'Well, this was a historic win for India, and the way they outplayed England was unbelievable. No one could imagine India could perform this way, especially with no Virat Kohli, Rohit or Ashwin,' Panesar told ANI ahead of the third Test set to begin on Thursday. Bumrah returned to the format after sustaining an injury in Sydney during India's fifth Test against Australia. He dazzled in the first innings and scalped five wickets in 24.4 overs while giving away 83 runs. In the second innings, he lost his charm and went wicketless as India fell to a five-wicket defeat in Leeds. In the second Test, Bumrah was rested as a part of managing his workload, considering he was bound to play just three out of the five games in England. 'In the next Test match, Jasprit Bumrah must come into the team and maybe Krishna out because he has played two back-to-back Test matches, and he may need to rest. India is in ascendancy now. England have a lot to consider, and I think India are favourites to start the Test really well,' he concluded. In the second contest, India captain Shubman Gill took the onus of pushing India's score, especially after his side endured two collapses at the tail in Leeds. He played the captain's knock and shared records for fun en route to a swashbuckling 269(387). In his second turn, when a belligerent approach was the need of the hour, Gill tantalised England's inexperienced pace attack with 161(162), scoring almost at a strike rate of 100. On the bowling front, Akash kept England's top order silent in the first innings and returned with figures of 4/88. However, in the second innings, he upped the ante and left no stone unturned to reduce the English crowd to silence. He dealt heavy blows at crucial junctures and scalped priceless wickets of Joe Root, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith and Harry Brook, derailing England's pursuit of a daunting 608-run target to finish with figures of 6/99. (ANI)
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
A batter with a huge appetite, a captain who speaks his mind
With 'Bazball', technique is secondary to ego, domination is everything, defence is an afterthought (if thought of at all), and importantly, having once settled on a philosophy of quick scoring and 'entertainment', there is no Plan B. Bazball contains seeds of its own destruction. That's something India will have to exploit for the rest of the series just as they did at Edgbaston. When it comes off, Bazball looks dramatic, as if it is the only way to play cricket. It brings in crowds, eschews draws, puts pressure on the opposition. It has been consistently successful for England since Brendon McCullum (coach) and Ben Stokes (captain) took charge. But when things are going badly, and the call is for swallowing the ego and defending stoutly, it flounders and is left without ideas. There is an attacking Bazball, but no defending Bazball. That is a chapter yet to be worked out. England's problems Suddenly, England have all the problems. Their bowling looks weak and incomplete with neither medium-pacer nor the lone spinner threatening. This might change if Gus Atkinson and Jofra Archer make it to the eleven for Lord's, but neither has played in a while. The batting looks shaky, with six zeroes in the first innings (and two scores over 150) giving the scoreboard a strange, lopsided look. India have been ahead on nine of the ten days of the series so far; it is a domination that is not reflected in the 1-1 scoreline. They lost at Headingley despite five centuries, but won at Edgbaston with one man, skipper Shubman Gill making 42% of the 1000-plus runs the team made for the first time. Cricket is a funny game. It was foolish to have rested the world's best bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, after losing the first Test, but India got away with it. Bumrah is back for the Lord's Test this week. Now with Akash Deep's ten-wicket performance, the pace bowling looks more settled than before, so you can argue it was worth the risk! Akash Deep's has been an incredible performance, his ability to get the ball to dart back or keep its course almost at will astounding. Much was made of his manner of hitting the cracks as if the pitch deserved the credit for his wickets. But that is being miserly with praise for the ability to bowl to a plan, and hit a length consistently. Interesting reign ahead That the Indian medium-pacers used the Dukes ball and the pitch better than the home team must worry England whose coach has asked for more pace and bounce at Lord's, while criticising the 'subcontinental' wicket at Edgbaston. Gill, who has grown nicely into the role of a leader was unhappy both with the ball which goes soft too soon and the slow wickets which he said kills the essence of the game. It is good to see India's captain and leading batter speak his mind and go beyond platitudes at the end of a match. We are in for an interesting reign. This was a Test that India won rather than one which England lost, although the declaration might have been unnecessarily delayed — either because of Gill's respect for England's ability to chase down big scores, or putting the game beyond the opposition was the priority even if it meant risking a draw. Perhaps the inability of attacking batters to settle down and play a defensive game to draw a Test is a lost art, and Gill knew it. Yet, the field placing on the final day was overly defensive and beyond understanding. The ability to know when to attack and when to defend is a lesson captains have to learn early. India seem to have hit their stride, all their batters in form, bowlers effective and the catching, especially close-in safe. When whom to drop rather than whom to pick is the question, the team is in a good place. Gill's sublime batting and appetite for huge scores — he has 585 runs from four innings, and if he continues in the same vein could challenge Bradman's record of 974 for a series — has already elevated the batting on view to a different plane. The coronation ceremony is over, Indian batting has a new king.
