'Magnificent' Akash Deep the hero for India as tourists thrash England by 336 runs at Edgbaston to level Test series
Updated 07/07/2025 at 09:09 GMT+1
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India were stunned by England in the first Test at Headingley, losing the game despite dominating it for long periods. But they made no such mistake at Edgbaston, clinching victory by 336 runs on Sunday. Akash Deep took six wickets for the tourists, taking him to 10 for the match. The series between these two old rivals is now level at 1-1, with the third Test at Lord's starting on Thursday.
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India have impressively struck back to level their series against England, winning the second Test at Edgbaston by 336 runs.
England claimed an extraordinary victory in the first Test at Headingley - despite India dominating much of the game - but the tourists would not be denied this time.
Jamie Smith did put up some resistance on the final day of the game, making 88, but it never really looked likely that England would avoid defeat and the win was sealed shortly after 5pm, to the delight of the many India supporters in Birmingham.
Akash Deep took 6-99, meaning he finished with 10 in the match as India won a Test at Edgbaston for the first time.
England coach Brendon McCullum later admitted it was "probably" a mistake to decide to bowl first after winning the toss.
But a very happy India captain Shubman Gill, who was also named Player of the Match after scoring 269 and 161, said: "I think all of the things we spoke about after the first game, we were spot on with all of those things.
"The way we came back with our bowling and fielding was tremendous.
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Akash Deep celebrates after taking the wicket of Ollie Pope
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"We knew with 400 or 500 we would be in the game, especially if we he held our catches. Our bowlers bowled brilliantly with the way we were able to get through [England's] top order."
Gill also paid tribute to Deep, saying: "He bowled with so much heart and skilfully with his lengths. He moved it in both directions, which was tough to do. He was magnificent for us."
And Gill, who confirmed star bowler Jasprit Bumrah would play in the third Test at Lord's, said about his own form: "I am feeling comfortable with my game and if we can win the series that would be a great achievement for us."
Play did not start until 12:40 UK time on Sunday, but any suggestion that would help England a great deal was soon swept away, with Ollie Pope and Harry Brook both quickly dismissed.
Pope was bowled by Deep, and soon after the same bowler trapped Brook lbw.
Smith and Ben Stokes then put on 70, giving home supporters faint hopes of a draw.
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But Stokes was lbw to Washington Sundar in the last over before lunch, in what felt like a decisive blow.
Some of the credit must go to Ravindra Jadeja, who rushed through his previous over so quickly that there was just time for one more before the interval.
Smith was eighth man out, caught by Sundar off Deep, and then it was only a matter of time before India claimed the win.
Victory was finally sealed when Brydon Carse was caught by India's captain Gill off Deep.
England captain Stokes said: "It's a tough one. Looking back when they were 200-5, if we were able to burst them open a bit quicker things could have been a little bit different.
"We ran in, we tried everything. But when a team is on top of you - and obviously it's a class team - it's always very difficult to wrestle the momentum back.
"To be honest it probably ended being more of a subcontinent pitch. As it got deeper and deeper, it became a real tough slog for us.
"With the Indian attack and the conditions that they're used to, they knew how to expose those conditions a little bit better than us.
"It's nothing to be too disheartened about. We can take being outskilled and we've certainly been outskilled this week.
"The opposition is full of world-class performers. Shubman has had an unbelievable game with the bat, so yeah it's a tough one."
Later, McCullum admitted it was "probably" the wrong call to put India in to bat first.
"I think as the game unfolded we probably looked back on that toss and said 'did we miss an opportunity there?' and it's probably fair," McCullum told the BBC.
"We didn't expect that the wicket would play quite as it did and hence we probably got it slightly wrong."
There is not a lot of time for the two teams to digest what has just happened, with the next Test getting underway at Lord's on Thursday.
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