Shubman Gill registered his first victory as India’s red-ball captain as the visitors defeated England by a massive 336 runs in the second Test at Edgbaston, their first-ever win at this venue. Gill’s record-shattering 269 and 161, Mohammed Siraj’s incisive six-wicket haul in the first innings, and Akash Deep’s sensational 10-wicket match haul lit up one of India’s finest all-round performances away from home.
The win was India’s first-ever Test triumph in Birmingham, breaking a winless streak of nine matches at the venue. And it came under the leadership of a captain who did more than just talk—Shubman Gill led from the front with a bat that blazed and a presence that commanded. While Gill cashed in on one of the flattest pitches England has served up, Siraj and Akash Deep rose to the occasion in Bumrah’s absence, outbowling England’s attack on home turf.
But this young Indian side, under Gill, played with the poise of seasoned warriors and the audacity of a London crime syndicate. Banishing the ghosts of Leeds, they produced a clinical, ruthless display across all three departments, levelling the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 1-1 after two gripping Tests.
England’s bowling—led by Chris Woakes and flanked by rookies Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse—looked blunt and bereft of ideas. India, by contrast, corrected every flaw exposed in Leeds. From dropping nine catches in the opener to pulling off sharp takes in Birmingham’s slip cordon; from a brittle lower order to one that stood up with runs. All-rounders Ravindra Jadeja, with twin fifties, and Washington Sundar, with a vital 40 in the first innings, added steel to India’s spine.
