The strong foundation captain Shubman Gill had laid with his 269 and 161 didn’t go in vain. That’s what Akash Deep ensured with his maiden match-haul of 10 wickets, as India sealed the second Test at Edgbaston with a huge 336-run victory over England on Sunday to level the series 1-1.
Without Jasprit Bumrah and on an extremely flat wicket, this effort from India’s pace group certainly goes down as a monumental one. Importantly, the victory, also India’s first in Birmingham, gives India the momentum going into the third Test at Lord’s, which begins on Thursday.
With the new ball, Akash was probing right through this Test. On the final day at Edgbaston, following a delayed start due to rain, the Bengal pacer showed he was capable enough to make the ball talk even if it wasn’t as new.
Having dismissed Ben Duckett and Joe Root on the fourth day evening, Akash had his tail up on Sunday. The new ball was 19 overs old when Akash got his first and third wicket of the innings. Pitching on good length, the ball bounced a tad extra, struck Ollie Pope on his wrist and hit the stumps.
Harry Brook was Akash’s next victim. Setting Brook up with a couple of deliveries that left the latter, Akash pitched one on the rough as the ball darted back alarmingly into the England white-ball captain, trapping him LBW.
That pitch had absolutely nothing much for the quicks in particular. Yet, Akash extracted that kind of sharp inward movement, which showed his ability. The grind he has had in first-class cricket finally paid off for the 28-year-old from Sasaram (Bihar).
Losing both Pope and Brook in such a short space of time was a massive setback for England.
Even when captain Ben Stokes and Smith had put up a resistance during their sixth-wicket stand, the pressure was palpable on England. After Washington Sundar trapped Stokes LBW in the final over before Lunch, things became easier for India. Smith still tried to wage a lone battle. But thanks to his variations, Akash had the last laugh. India, too, were all smiles.
Atkinson in
To strengthen their bowling attack, England have added pacer Gus Atkinson to their squad for the Lord's Test. Atkinson missed the first two Tests owing to a right hamstring injury.
