India leveled the five-match series against England 1-1 by winning the second Test match by a massive margin of 336 runs. This victory at Edgbaston was historic, as it was the first time in 58 years that the Indian team won a Test match on this ground.
IND Vs ENG 2nd Test: The name of Edgbaston had always been recorded as a bitter memory in Indian cricket history. For 58 years, India had not tasted victory on this ground, but finally, under the captaincy of Shubman Gill, this myth was broken. India defeated England by 336 runs in the second match of the five-match Test series, leveling the series at 1-1.
The Gill brigade accomplished on the Edgbaston pitch what even Patodi, Kapil Dev, Sourav Ganguly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and Virat Kohli could not. Many stars shone in this victory, but five players etched their names in history with their performances. Let's take a look at those five heroes, on whose strength India shattered England's pride at Edgbaston.
1. Shubman Gill - Not just the captain, but also the rescuer
Shubman Gill batted in this Test in such a way that the morale of the English bowlers was shattered. Gill played a marathon innings of 269 runs in the first innings, facing 387 balls and hitting 28 fours. Gill's bat roared in the second innings as well, and he scored 161 runs. Thus, his total contribution in the match was 430 runs.
Gill became the ninth batsman in the world and the second from India to score a century in both innings and a double century in the first innings. His captaincy and brilliant batting gave India a historic victory at Edgbaston.
2. Akash Deep - Broke England's backbone with the ball
Fast bowler Akash Deep wreaked havoc with his bowling in this match. He took 4 wickets in the first innings and 6 wickets in the second innings, completing a total of 10 wickets. The English batsmen, from the top order to the lower order, struggled against his swing and line and length. Akash Deep became the second Indian to take 10 wickets in England. Before this, only Chetan Sharma had achieved this feat in 1986.
3. Mohammed Siraj - Brilliant support from the other end
Mohammed Siraj, the partner of Akash Deep in the fast bowling attack, was not far behind. Siraj took seven wickets in the entire match, keeping the opposition batsmen tied down. England never got a chance to recover from his reverse swing and accurate yorkers. Siraj put pressure on the English top order in the first spell itself, which continued till the end.
4. Ravindra Jadeja - Reliable contribution with the bat
Jadeja showed his all-round ability in this match. He scored 89 runs in the first innings and added an unbeaten 69 runs in the second innings. When Gill needed a partner in difficult times, Jadeja stayed on the crease and kept scoring runs. Apart from this, Jadeja also performed brilliantly in fielding and broke England's last hope by taking a difficult catch.
5. Rishabh Pant - Showed class even under pressure
Indian vice-captain Rishabh Pant also played an important role in the Edgbaston Test. Although he scored 25 runs in the first innings, he pushed England on the back foot by playing a quick-fire innings of 65 runs in the second innings. His wicketkeeping was also excellent, especially on the bowling of Akash Deep and Siraj, he took many difficult catches and showed speed in stumping.
The Gill brigade created history
This victory at Edgbaston was not just a win in a Test match for India, but also a symbol of ending a 58-year drought. Before this, India had played eight Tests here, in which they lost seven and one was drawn. The Indian team, under the leadership of Gill, broke this spell and created history. Now the five-match series is level at 1-1 and Team India will be seen full of confidence in the next match.
