Pacer Akash rattles England with fiery six-wicket burst as Shubman Gill & Co clinch massive 336-run win to level five-match series 1-1; India taste victory in Birmingham for the first time in nine Tests across six decades
India pacer Akash Deep (centre) with skipper Shubman Gill (right) and Mohd Siraj at Edgbaston. Pic/Getty Images
It was in the fitness of things that the two men, skipper Shubman Gill with the catch off pacer Akash Deep, who influenced India’s charge the most were involved in the final dismissal (of Brydon Carse) that formalised a splendid 336-run win in the second Test at Edgbaston on Sunday.
Shubman Gill, the courageous young skipper in his second Test, had set the tone with 430 runs for the game, while Akash Deep, the resilient pacer brought into this game because Jasprit Bumrah was rested, had a wonderful outing. At the clock ticked over to 5.09 pm on Day 5 of the second Test, Gill at cover latched on to a skier from Brydon Carse to give Deep his 10th wicket of the match and trigger delirious celebrations.
India players celebrate the wicket of England skipper Ben Stokes yesterday. Pic/Getty Images
Having lost at Headingley just over 10 days back, India thus came roaring back into the five-match series after bowling England out for 271, squaring things up at 1-1.
Rain delays restart
Concerns that India might have inordinately delayed their declaration on Saturday evening were raised afresh when play didn’t get underway until 100 minutes beyond the scheduled start owing to rain. India still had 80 overs in which to get the seven remaining English wickets — the loss of 10 overs further put things out of the hosts’ reach — but they needed to strike early. Deep provided the inspiration with the scalps of both overnight batters within the first 25 minutes. In the day’s fourth over, he defeated Ollie Pope with bounce, forcing him to play on. In his next over, Harry Brook, one half of a wondrous 303-run stand in the first innings, was undone by a pearler that hit a crack and came rushing back to ping him on the inside of his back knee. Half the side down but India still had to contend with Ben Stokes, the England skipper, and Jamie Smith, Brook’s associate in that terrific aforementioned stand. Stokes was in excellent stonewalling mood while Smith seemed untroubled against an ageing ball.
India pacer Akash Deep is ecstatic after dismissing England’s Harry Brook at Edgbaston, Birmingham, yesterday. Pic/Bipin Patel
Gill, calm and unflustered, worked the changes around though Mohammed Siraj was sparingly used. Eventually, it was his fifth bowling option, off-spinner Washington Sundar, who ended the stand at the stroke of lunch with a straighter one trapped Stokes plumb in front.
Prasidh strikes late
With the ball turning square off the rough, wickets didn’t seem far away. Gill stuck with Ravindra Jadeja’s left-arm spin from the far end and worked his seamers from the pavilion end. Prasidh Krishna finally found reward by having Chris Woakes caught on the pull, the signal for Smith to open his shoulders and play some handsome strokes.
Smith finally perished to the pull off a slower ball that gave Deep his maiden five-wicket haul, after which Siraj pulled off a screamer to pack off Josh Tongue. Then came the final act, Gill and Deep combining to ensure that India’s dominance ended with the most emphatic margin.
58
No. of years after which India won its first Test match at Birmingham, having played nine games here since 1967, losing seven and drawing one
336
India’s massive victory margin against England on Sunday — their biggest in an away Test
1967
The year India played their first Test against England at Edgbaston — the hosts won by 132 runs
Brief scores
India 587 & 427-6d beat England 407 & 271 (J Smith 88, Brydon Carse 38, B Stokes 33; A Deep 6-99) by 336 runs
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