India Crush England by 336 Runs in Edgbaston to Level Series 1-1

Image Credit: BCCI

A resurgent Indian side bulldozed England by 336 runs in the second Test at Edgbaston, registering their first-ever Test victory at the venue and leveling the five-match series 1-1 in emphatic style.

Despite persistent rain delays on the final day, India’s bowlers, led by the irrepressible Akash Deep, ran through the English lineup, dismissing them for 271 with 27 overs left in the day. The 28-year-old seamer ended with figures of 6-99 in the second innings and 10 wickets in the match, a performance that cemented his place as a series-defining player.

England, needing an improbable 608 to win or to bat out the day to salvage a draw, began the final session three down. Early breakthroughs by Akash Deep, who removed Ollie Pope and Harry Brook within the first five overs after the rain break, set the tone for the collapse.

Ben Stokes, unusually cautious, fought alongside Jamie Smith in a partnership that lasted 115 balls. However, Washington Sundar trapped the England captain lbw just before lunch, exposing the tail.

Smith followed up his first-innings 184* with a defiant 88, striking four sixes and taking on the short ball, but holed out while attempting a third big hit. From that point, England's resistance disintegrated.

While Smith was England’s standout performer across both innings, this match belonged to Shubman Gill and Akash Deep. Gill, leading the team for the first time in a Test, scored a brilliant 161 in the first innings and followed it up with a solid second-innings contribution, finishing the match with 430 runs.

India’s declaration at 427/6 in the second innings had already built an insurmountable lead. The bowlers then completed the job with discipline and precision. Deep’s ability to move the ball both ways and bowl consistent, probing lengths troubled England throughout.

Gill, named Player of the Match, praised the team’s ability to bounce back after the Headingley loss. “We were spot on with all of the things we spoke about after the first game,” said the young skipper. “Akash bowled with heart and real skill. This was a massive team effort.”

England were left to rue their inability to finish India off when the visitors were 200-5 in the first innings. According to Stokes, that moment was pivotal. “If we were able to burst them open quicker, things could’ve been different,” he admitted post-match.

Their approach—defensive and unfamiliar under the Bazball regime—was a departure from their usual attacking brand, as survival became their sole aim. However, with only one successful fifth-day save in over a decade, the odds were always against them.

With Jasprit Bumrah set to return at Lord’s and India visibly buoyed by this commanding win, the series is now wide open. England, meanwhile, will have to reassess the fitness and form of their pace attack with a short turnaround ahead of the third Test starting Thursday.

India’s win not only ended a long wait at Edgbaston but also sent a clear message: the visitors are here to fight—and win—on English soil.