India took firm control of the second Test at Edgbaston with a dominant all-round display, as England’s top order crumbled under pressure in a collapse not seen on home soil for over a decade.
Despite Jasprit Bumrah being rested, India’s pace attack showed no signs of weakness. Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj led the way with a fiery spell that left England in deep trouble on Day 3.
Akash Deep made an immediate impact, removing Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope in consecutive deliveries. Siraj then joined in, dismissing England captain Ben Stokes for a duck. By the end of the early onslaught, three of England’s top six had been dismissed without scoring—a feat last seen in England back in 2010 against Pakistan.
England’s top order suffered a rare and embarrassing collapse as three of their top six batters were dismissed for ducks. This is the first time since 2010 that such a collapse has occurred in a home Test for England. The last instance came against Pakistan, and now, Team India has etched its name into that infamous statistic
Bumrah’s absence due to workload management raised eyebrows before the match, but his teammates stepped up in style. The pace unit, led by Akash Deep and Siraj, maintained relentless pressure, never allowing England’s batters to settle.
India have never won a Test at Edgbaston—traditionally a stronghold for England. But with a substantial first-innings total and a potent bowling performance, the visitors are well placed to break that streak. A win here would level the five-match series at 1-1 and set up a decisive finale at Lord’s.
After the early collapse, Jamie Smith and Harry Brook mounted a strong counter-attack. Both batters notched up centuries, guiding England to 263 for 5 in just 50 overs. Their fightback eased the pressure, but England still trail India by 324 runs in the first innings.