This was Shubman Gill’s new team India that came roaring back when pushed to a corner. Trailing 0-1 after the defeat in a Test they should have won at Leed’s, Shubman Gill’s boys, in about a week’s time, overcame the Headingley heartbreak to win at Edgbaston and level the series.
This was India’s first-ever Test triumph at Edgbaston and this was the biggest margin of victory on foreign soil. Over the past five days, Shubman Gill was being seen in a new light. But the captain wasn’t getting carried away. In a low-key press conference, with the tone of his voice giving no hint of the scale of his achievement, the captain treated this as just another day.
Shubman Gill’s first Test triumph as captain of India was about him leading from the front, lifting his deflated team, trusting his players, calling out England’s Bazball bravado and in the bargain entering the record books, a habit with him now. Powered by the captain Shubman Gill’s record-breaking 430 runs aggregate in this Test, and inspired by the seam-duo of Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep accounting for 17 wickets together, the young and largely inexperienced team made more history with their 336-run win.
It’s a Test match to remember for Shubman Gill & India- Ravi Shastri
Indian cricket team’s historic victory against England at the Edgbaston has forced former head coach Ravi Shastri to change his stance and publicly praise Gautam Gambhir. Ravi Shastri was livid with Indian team management’s decision to rest Jasprit Bumrah in the second Test as they were already 1-0 behind in the five-match series.
This decision did not go down well with former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri, who hit out at coach Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill for allowing a player to decide his availability when his team needed to wrest control back from the hosts.
India, however, hardly missed Jasprit Bumrah in Birmingham as his replacement Akash Deep stepped up with a remarkable 10-wicket match haul and Mohammed Siraj took seven wickets, helping India win by a massive 336 runs, their first at Edgbaston. Gambhir, who took the bold decision to stick to his original plan and allow Bumrah a much-needed rest to manage his workload, was seen allowing himself a rare smile after the thunderous win at Edgbaston.
As the cameras panned toward the smiling Gambhir, Shastri was quick to praise the coach and his troops.
“Don’t see that smile too often, but he deserves every bit of it. There is no better feeling for a coach than when you bounce back almost immediately to keep the series alive,” he said during commentary.
Former head coach Ravi Shastri praised Team India’s remarkable performance that led to their first-ever victory at Edgbaston, a convincing 336-run win over England, leveling the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series 1-1. Shastri emphasized the significance of this win for the young Indian team and commended their resilience over the past five days.
“It’s a tribute to the character of the boys to bounce back the way they have. The defeat at Leeds was a tough pill to swallow, but this is a game where they have dominated right through with the bat, ball, and in the field. It’s a Test match to remember for Gill and India,” Shastri said on Sky Sports.
India entered this match without Jasprit Bumrah and did not include Kuldeep Yadav, trailing 0-1 after a surprising loss at Leeds. Akash, who replaced Bumrah, delivered an outstanding fast-bowling performance, troubling England’s batters on a flat pitch and bowling them out for 271 on the final day, with more than a session remaining.
Akash Deep’s heroics were preceded by captain Shubman Gill’s exceptional display, scoring 430 runs across the two innings—the most by an Indian in a Test match—paving the way for the famous victory.
With the next Test starting in only three days’ time, it would be interesting to see what sort of pitch the hosts prepare, considering the result in Birmingham. India on the other hand, whose chances were doubted after England’s fine win in Headingley last week, leave Birmingham with their first Test victory at Edgbaston at the ninth attempt.It also brilliantly sets up the remainder of the series, which continues at Lord’s on Thursday having a series levelled at 1-1.
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