IND vs ENG: What is India’s record at Edgbaston - Cricket Ground in Birmingham

India have lost the first Test match of the five-match series against England and Jasprit Bumrah is only left with two matches to play in the series due to his workload. Despite scoring five centuries in the first Test, the lack of depth in India's batting has become a major talking point. But the bigger question is how India will take 20 wickets in the next Test. After Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj is their most experienced pacer in the squad, and he picked just two wickets in the first Test. As per reports, Bumrah is unlikely to play the next Test match. Many cricket pundits have backed Kuldeep Yadav to be included in the eleven for the next Test match. 

Where is the second Test scheduled to be played? 

The second Test match between India and England is scheduled to take place at the Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham.

What is India’s record at Edgbaston? 

After suffering a defeat in the first Test, India can’t afford two losses in a row. However, they don’t have a great history at the venue for the second Test match. It is scheduled to take place at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham. Team India have played eight Tests at this venue in the past and they have not managed to taste victory on a single occasion.

In eight games, they suffered seven losses, while one game ended in a draw. They haven’t had a great outing with the bat on this surface. Only twice in 16 innings, they have managed to reach past the 300-run mark. 416 is the highest they have scored on this ground in the fifth Test of the 2021-22 tour. It's also worth noting that before the 2021-22 tour, India only played two Tests at Edgbaston between 2000 and 2020 - One was in 2018 under Virat Kohli’s captaincy and the other one in 2011 under MS Dhoni’s.

Top three Indian batters with the most Test runs at Edgbaston? 

India’s former Test captain Virat Kohli is at the top of the list with 231 runs to his name in two Tests, including a century and a half-century. Sunil Gavaskar, sitting at second, has scored 216 in three Tests at this venue. India’s current Test vice-captain Rishabh Pant also has a great record at Edgbaston. He played a sensational knock of 146 runs in 111 balls in the series-deciding fifth Test of the 2021-22 tour. It was followed with a half-century in the second innings. Overall, he has 203 runs in just a single Test played at Edgbaston. 

Which English batter has scored the most Test runs at Edgbaston?

England’s Test superstar, Joe Root has a phenomenal record at Edgbaston. In nine Tests, he has scored 920 runs at an average of 70.76. He has hit three centuries and five half-centuries at this ground. 

How will the pitch behave? 

The pitch at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham provides a great contest between bat and ball. Under overcast conditions, bowlers should find assistance in the air and off the pitch on the first two days. The ball tends to nip around, making it tough for the batters to settle at the crease.

However, as the game progresses, the pitch could flatten out. If the sun comes out on days 3 and 4, batting will become easier. Later, in the day, spinners should come into play with the cracks opening up. Both teams should look to bat first upon winning the toss. 

What happened when India last played a Test match at Edgbaston? 

Team India last played a Test at Edgbaston under Jasprit Bumrah's captaincy on the 2021-22 tour. With both teams winning two matches each, the fifth match at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground turned out to be the series decider. India batting first posted a formidable score of 416, courtesy of sensational knocks from Rishabh Pant (146) and Ravindra Jadeja (104). In reply, England were bowled out for 284, giving India a significant lead. 

In their second essay, India managed to score 245 but set up an imposing target of 378. India took three wickets for 109 but Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow shattered India’s dream of a series win on Day 5 as they produced an unbeaten 269-run partnership to guide England home with seven wickets in hand. 

India’s Predicted Playing XI for the 2nd Test

Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.