ENG vs IND: 5 key takeaways from India’s historic Test win against England at Edgbaston

Team India sealed a 336-run win at Edgbaston, ending a 58-year drought at the venue. Shubman Gill starred with twin tons, while Akash Deep’s brilliance with the ball ensured a historic Test triumph in the ongoing series.

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Key highlights from India's historic Edgbaston Test win

Team India scripted a historic Test victory against England in the second Test of the five-match series at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Sunday, July 6. Shubman Gill-led side registered a massive 336-run win to clinch India’s first-ever Test win at Edgbaston in 58 years.

After declaring the second innings at 427/7 and setting a 608-run target, Team India's bowling attack, led by Akash Deep, bundled out the hosts for 271 to level the series 1-1. The visitors lost the opening Test at Headingley in Leeds by five wickets but bounced back emphatically to break a 58-year Test jinx in Birmingham and regain their momentum in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

On that note, let’s take a look at five key takeaways from India’s historic Edgbaston Test win.

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1. Shubman Gill’s record-breaking outing

Shubman Gill had a dream outing in the second Test of his maiden tour as an Indian captain. Gill dominated the England bowling attack in both innings of the Edgbaston Test. In the first innings, the 25-year-old played a marathon knock of 269 off 387 balls, including 30 fours and 3 sixes, and batted for 509 minutes to guide Team India to a solid total. During his incredible innings. Shubman Gill shattered several records that etched him in history.

But, he did not stop there as he had another recording spree in the second innings, scoring 161 off 162 balls to take past a 550-run first innings lead. In the final session of Day 4, Shubman Gill went bonkers against the England bowling attack as he smashed 61 off 32 balls to increase India’s scoring rate and lead before declaring the innings. Gill shattered several records in the second innings, including the most runs by an Indian batter in a Test match (430).

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2. Ravindra Jadeja’s crucial twin fifties

Ravindra Jadeja might not have significantly delivered with the ball in the Edgbaston Test, but his contribution with the bat was vital in both innings. In the first innings, Jadeja walked in to bat at 211/5 and played a rock-solid knock of 89 off 137 balls while forming a crucial 203-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Shubman Gill to take the visitors' 400-run mark. His knock and his stand with Gill prevent the visitors from collapsing, unlike the Headingley Test.

In the second innings, Jadeja walked out to bat when India were 236/4 after Rishabh Pant’s dismissal and played an unbeaten innings of 69 off 118 balls while stitching a 175-run stand with Gill to take India’s lead by 580 runs. Ravindra Jadeja batted till the visitors declared their second innings. Two crucial half-centuries by the southpaw ensured that India maintained control in both innings and built an insurmountable lead that eventually laid the foundation for the historic Edgbaston win.

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3. Mohammed Siraj steps into Jasprit Bumrah’s shoes

Since Jasprit Bumrah was rested for the Edgbaston Test, Mohammed Siraj was handed over the responsibility to lead the pace attack in Birmingham, as he is the second-most experienced pacer in the squad. Siraj seemed to have embraced the responsibility of leading the pace attack as he picked six wickets in the first innings to help India bundle out England for 407 and hand over a massive 180-run first-innings lead.

Siraj picked the wickets of Zak Crawley, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Brydon Carse, and Shoaib Bashir to register the figures of 6/70 at an economy rate of 3.60 in 19.1 overs. He was the most economical bowler in the first innings. In the second innings, Siraj picked only one wicket of Zak Crawley for a duck and conceded 57 runs at an economy rate of 4.80 in his spell of 12 overs.

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4. Akash Deep’s sensational spell

Akash Deep undoubtedly had a dream outing in his Test career with his sensational performance with the ball at Edgbaston. The 28-year-old came in place of Jasprit Bumrah and justified his selection to the playing XI by delivering not just a sensational spell but also a career-defining performance. In the first innings, Akash picked four wickets, including a crucial scalp of Harry Brook, and registered figures of 4/88 at an economy rate of 4.4 in 20 overs.

In the second innings, Akash Deep led the bowling attack with a fiery six-wicket haul, registering figures of 6/99 at an economy rate of 4.7 in 21.1 overs, dismantling England’s middle and lower order resistance led by Jamie Smith. With this, Akash Deep recorded his maiden 10-wicket haul while registering figures of 10/187 in 41.1 overs at an economy rate of 4.55.

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5. Shubman Gill’s first win as captain with history

With India’s historic Test victory, Shubman Gill recorded his first international win as a captain. Gill missed out on the chance of winning the first Test as an Indian skipper at Headingley, which the visitors lost by five wickets. But at Edgbaston, he bounced back remarkably, not only by scoring twin centuries but also by leading the team with astute captaincy, including strategic declaration and field placements, that helped secure the first ever at Edgbaston in 58 years.

Along with his first win as a Test captain, Shubman Gill also scripted history by becoming the first Asian captain to win a Test match at Edgbaston, a venue where India had never triumphed in their previous eight attempts spanning 58 years. Additionally, Shubman Gill-led Team India registered their highest win by a margin of runs in an away Test match.