Yesterday on 06.07.2025, India finally broke the Edgbaston jinx, with a staggering 336 run victory to level the five Test series at 1–1. And this was no ordinary win; it was India’s first Test win at Birmingham in its ninth attempt which meant they ended a long drought that had lasted almost six decades. And the context was so dramatic; it was just a week prior they suffered a gut-wrenching loss at Headingly. But now fast forward and IND has produced one of their best performances away from home.
Day 1-2: Setting Up
• Day 1: IND batted first and scored 587 all out, propelled by Shubman Gill’s dazzling score of 269 the high watermark that set the standard. The pitch looked flat, but Gill had composure and footwork which set him apart. He along with Ravindra Jadeja stuck around and stitched a 203-run partnership after IND was at a spot of bother at 211-5 with Rishabh Pant and Nitish Reddy got out within 10 balls span. Ravindra Jadeja also managed to score 89 but couldn’t convert the same into a big one and ended up edging one to Jamie Smith behind the stumps of Josh Tongue.
• England’s chase: Mohammed Siraj went right through the top order, with 6–70, as ENG fell to 407- all out; a deficit of 180. ENG start was shaky when they found themselves at 25-3 and 84-5 with Joe Root and Ben Stokes both the senior members of the team back in the pavilion in two consecutive deliveries by the lethal Mohd Siraj.
IND started sniffing a big lead but that’s when Harry Brook and Jamie Smith decided to spoil the party for Indian bowlers. They stuck around and stitched a huge and one of the best partnerships in ENG history of 303-runs together and taking ENG beyond the nightmare of follow-on. On 158 Harry Brook was bowled by Akash Deep where Jamie Smith went not out at 184 and missing on his double century. ENGwas bowled out for 407.
Day 3-4: Setting the Essential Lead
• Day 3: Ravindra Jadeja and the tail added runs, but IND’s top order had the game. Gill joined the party again and scored yet another big one in the second innings of the match scoring 161 with the help of Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja’s 65 & 69. IND manages to take the lead of 180 to a mammoth target of 608 to chase for ENG by scoring 427-6 in their second innings.
• Day 4: After tea when already there were speculations questions that IND has delayed their declaration and has been a bit too much on the defensive side. With weather forecast on the 5th day experts started raising questions on the timing of declaration from Gill and team. IND declared at 427–6, setting England a target of a whopping 608, ENG again in the second innings did not start as they would have wanted. When there was no chance of chasing that mammoth target all ENG wanted to spend time on the wicket which was against their style of play. ENG on day 4 at stumps were 73-3 and in a spot of bother for loosing this game.
Gill: The Captain with the Will to Win.
Shubman Gill stepped up to leadership with a composure like no other—he didn’t just captain but was the first-passionate driving force. His two centuries (269 and 161) humbled the bowlers, while destroying the courage in the ENG camp. As gill noted, “if we got 400–500 runs on this wicket, that would be enough”, and he wasn’t wrong about that. Though many questioned the timing of his declaration on the 4th day and said that he was a bit too defensive and a target of 608 was too big to be chased down in 4 sessions of the game.
Gill still came out to bat after the tea on the 4th day and giving his bowlers only 31/2 sessions to bowl out ENG. Experts also started questioning and raising eyebrows on the strike rate of both Gill and Jadeja in the second innings where people were expecting them to go after the bowlers to score runs quickly to set the target and make ENG bat as soon as possible giving the bowlers enough time to bowl them out in the last innings. With the result being in IND favor now it seems Gill and Gambhir knew what they were doing exactly. They wanted to make ENG play against their nature of gameplay i.e BAZBALL.
Day 5, the bowlers were back in control with the exciting prospect of winning the match:
• Akash Deep stepping in for Jasprit Bumrah was the star of the show. he took 4–88 in the first innings and 6–99 in the second, finishing with a career best 10–187.
• Also, Siraj took 7 wickets across both innings.
Akash Deep is now only the second Indian pace bowler to take 10 wickets in an ENG Test in 39 years, not only that, but he is also the first since… this was that rare.
When ENG resumed their innings on 72 runs for three wickets, the lower order was only hoping to bat out time, but with superb swing bowling and rapid pace, Deep broke the lower order open before lunch. The last wicket fell just before tea, with Brydon Carse edging to Captain Gill in the field.
Key Turning Points
1. Gill’s twin double-hundreds: His 269-161 was courage and consistency under pressure, unrivaled.
2. Siraj’s early strikes: His 6-70 swung momentum immediately after their first innings.
3. Akash Deep’s phoenix moment: Having been thrown in the deep and surfacing brilliantly, his 10 wickets was an emphatic full stop.
4. Fielding and tactical clarity: Gill’s captaincy was marked with sharp catches (in particular, Siraj’s scream), and perfect timing with declarations.
Akash Deep: A star is born
At 28 years of age, Akash Deep had played just eight Test matches before this match. His arrival into the history books was heralded in Birmingham:
“A fiery opening spell from Akash Deep” left ENG looking down at 83-5 on Day 5.
Gill was singing his praises from afar for his nagging accuracy and seam movement:
“He was getting the ball to move both ways… just brilliant”.
No word on retention, but it seems pretty certain he’s made his case to be kept in the XI ahead of Lord’s.
Likely IND XI for Third Test (Lord’s, 10-14 July)
With Bumrah on his rest period in Birmingham and ready to return, this is a likely playing 11:
1. Yashasvi Jaiswal
2. K L Rahul
3. Shubhman Gill (c)
4. Karun Nair
5. Rishabh Pant (wk)
6. Nitish Reddy
7. Ravindra Jadeja
8. Kuldeep Yadav
9. Akash Deep
10. Mohd Siraj
11. Jasprit Bumrah – fully fit, and fit to return.
IND might also like a fifth bowler, depending on the pitch – in particular what seam-friendly Lords might offer as England look to prepare the pitch. Depth in spin is always going to be prominent in India’s strategy.
The Road Ahead: Lord’s Awaits
• Positive momentum: IND has pride and confidence circulating within their squad after producing this historic win.
– Leadership of Gill: tactical and mentality of aggression with a selfless selflessness
– Balance of bowling attack: Bumrah’s return means India’s attack is strengthened. Akash Deep is in no rush to concede his position.
Conscious of the opposition, however, will England need to re-evaluate: has Bazball bitten more than it can chew on flatter decks? The response may depend upon their selectors, who might once again gauge the Lord’s pitch fitness and other local conditions.
Final thoughts
This wasn’t just a victory. It was an assertion: batting with poise, bowling with belief and leading with authority. It was Gill who came—not as a run-scorer, but as captain, an emerging in team beliefs.
Edgbaston, July 6, 2025: a date for the history books.
Next: on to Lord’s. July 10–14: it’s already teed up. Can IND sustain this form? Will England be able to switch gears? What is certain is it will not be a low-key Test.
You can also read our blog on Shubhman Gill becoming the Test Captain of IND after Rohit Sharma.
Your posts are very informative
Thank you!