Birmingham Blues no more: Skipper Gill, 10-fer by Akash Deep highlights of India’s first-ever win at Edgbaston, level series

BIRMINGHAM: A historic outing with the bat by skipper Shubman Gill, a ten-wicket haul by pacer Akash Deep were the highlights of a total team effort as India ended their winless streak at Birmingham, securing a 336-run win over England during the second Test on the final day on Sunday.

With this win, India has levelled the five-match series by 1-1. Also, now, after seven losses and a draw, they finally have a win to their name at Edgbaston Stadium.

England started the second session with Jamie Smith unbeaten at 32*, with his side in troubled waters while chasing 608 runs at 153/6.

Jamie was joined by Chris Woakes at the crease. Smith continued undeterred despite setbacks, bashing spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. He reached his fifty in 73 balls, with seven fours.

In the 49th over, Smith hit Sundar for two sixes and a four.

However, before England could reach the 200-run mark, they lost an experienced Woakes for seven runs. A poor lofted shot up in the air landed in the hands of Mohammed Siraj at mid-wicket, who took an easy catch. England was 199/7 in 52.1 overs.

England reached the 200-run mark in 52.3 overs.

In the 55th over, Smith tried to assert his dominance over Akash with two successive sixes, but as he went for the third, he was caught by Washington at deep square leg for 88 in 99 balls, with nine fours and four sixes. Akash got his maiden Test five-wicket haul. England was 226/8 in 55.4 overs.

A fine catch by Siraj, one-handed, at short mid-wicket, removed Josh Tongue for just two. Ravindra Jadeja got his first wicket of the match, sinking England to 246/9 in 63.5 overs.

Carse defiance came to an end, as Akash got the final wicket and Gill took the catch. England was bundled out for 271 in 68.1 overs. Carse scored a solid 38, but England was way short, by 336 runs.

Akash Deep (6/99) got a memorable ten-wicket haul. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Jadeja and Sundar got a wicket each.

At the end of the first session, England reached 153/6 with Jamie Smith 32* unbeaten on the crease and 455 runs away from the victory.

England started Day 5 on 72/3 in 16 overs, 556 runs short of victory, with Harry Brook and Ollie Pope unbeaten on scores of 15* and 24*. India needed to scythe seven scalps on the final day to restore parity at 1-1 in the five-match series.

Play started after nearly a two-hour rain delay on Day 5 of the second Test. Due to the delay, 80 overs will be bowled. Akash Deep was all over England like a rash in his opening spell of the first session as he worked his magic. He sent both overnight batters, Ollie Pope, 24 and Harry Brook, 23, to the pavilion, sinking England to 83/5 in 21.3 overs.

The duo of England skipper Ben Stokes and Jamie Smith completed 50-run partnership for the 6th wicket in the 35th over after Stokes smashed a four off Siraj towards mid-wicket. The duo had taken England past the 100-run mark in 24.1 overs.

Just before lunch, Washington Sundar removed England’s skipper for 33 off 73 balls, including six fours. England was reduced to 153/6 in 40/3 overs, ending a 70-run stand.

Earlier, England ended the fourth day at 72/3, with Brook (15*) and Pope (24*) unbeaten.

The fourth day started with India at 64/1, with KL Rahul (28*) and Karun Nair (7*) unbeaten. After the early dismissal of Yashasvi Jaiswal (28 in 22 balls, with six fours), Rahul and Nair had a brief partnership, which ended just before the team reached the 100-run mark at 96 runs, with Nair going back to the pavilion after a 46-ball 26 with five fours.

After Rahul departed for a 84-ball 55 consisting of 10 fours leaving India at 126/3, skipper Gill and Rishabh Pant delivered a swift 110-run partnership, with the vice-captain contributing an entertaining 65 in 58 balls, with eight fours and three sixes. After a historic double ton in the first innings, Gill slammed a century, breaking several records again. Another epic partnership for the fifth wicket of 175 runs between Gill (161 in 162 balls, with 13 fours and eight sixes) and Ravindra Jadeja (69* in 118 balls, with five fours and a six) followed. India declared shortly after breaking of this partnership at 427/6 in response to England’s first innings total of 407 runs, which had been put in response to India’s first innings total of 587 runs.

India managed to swell a 180-run first innings lead to a lead of 607 runs, setting a mountain-like 608 for England to win. Tongue (2/93) and Bashir (2/119) were the top bowlers for England.

During the remainder of the day four, Siraj and Akash once again made the new ball talk, reducing England to 50/3, before Pope and Brook took England to 72/3 at end of day four.

The end of day three saw England starting off at 77/3, with Joe Root (18*) and Harry Brook (30*) unbeaten. While Mohammed Siraj struck twice to reduce England to 84/5, the hosts landed the visitors in an even bigger trouble as Brook (158 in 234 balls, with 17 fours and a six) and Smith (184* in 207 balls, with 21 fours and four sixes) delivered an unbelievable counter-attack with a 303-run partnership. However, Siraj (6/70) and Akash (4/88) managed to get some tricks out of the new ball, skittling out England for 407 runs in their first innings. The last five wickets fell for just 20 runs as the hosts trailed by 180 runs.

For the remainder of the day, India got some batting, with Jaiswal and KL putting a swift 51-run opening stand and the hosts ending the day with a 244 runs lead at 64/1.

England had won the toss and opted to field first. For the first two days, it was the ultimate toil for the hosts as they searched for the red cherry and answers to Indian batting endlessly. After getting KL Rahul (2) early, a 80-run stand between Yashasvi Jaiswal (87 in 107 balls, with 13 fours) and Karun Nair (31 in 50 balls, with five fours) helped India gain some footing in the match. Skipper Shubman Gill had valuable partnerships of 203 runs with Ravindra Jadeja (89 in 137 balls, with 10 fours and a six) and a 144-run stand against Washington Sundar (42 in 103 balls, with three fours and a six), helping India towards 587, scoring 269 in 387 balls himself, with 30 fours and three sixes.

Shoaib Bashir (3/167) was the pick of the bowlers for England, while Chris Woakes and Josh Tongue also managed two each. In the final session of the second day, India had reduced England to 25/3, with early strikes from Siraj and Akash, but Root and Brook averted a bigger disaster, ending the day two at 77/3.

Brief Scores: England: 407 and 271 (Jamie Smith 88, Brydon Carse 38, Akash Deep 6/99) lost to India: 587 and 427/6 d (Shubman Gill 161, Ravindra Jadeja 69*, Josh Tongue 2/93) by 336 runs. (ANI)