Shubman Gill breaks Edgbaston jinx as India script historic Test win

The Edgbaston cricket ground in Birmingham had long been India’s Waterloo in Test matches—until captain Shubman Gill led from the front and shattered a 58-year-old hoodoo with a commanding 336-run victory on July 6. The win not only levelled the five-Test series at 1-1, but also gave India the momentum to press ahead with three matches remaining.

Although India’s Test team first toured England in 1932, they did not play a match at Edgbaston until 1967. Since then, prior to the current series, India had played eight Tests at the venue—losing seven and managing a draw only once, in 1986.

Curiously, each of those eight games saw a different Indian captain at the helm—Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi (1967), Ajit Wadekar (1974), S Venkataraghavan (1979), Kapil Dev (1986, draw), Mohammad Azharuddin (1996), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (2011), Virat Kohli (2018), and Jasprit Bumrah (2022). Finally, it was Gill, the ninth captain, who broke the jinx. If he maintains his form and leadership, he could well become the first Indian captain to lead more than once at Edgbaston.

The win holds more than just symbolic importance—it has injected renewed belief into the team ahead of the third Test, scheduled for July 10 at Lord’s, London. India had earlier lost the opening Test at Headingley, Leeds.

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Not always a barren ground

Despite their Test woes at Edgbaston, India has tasted success there in other formats. Dhoni’s men memorably lifted the Champions Trophy in 2013 at this venue, defeating England in a rain-affected final. Only one player from that squad remains—Ravindra Jadeja, who was adjudged Man of the Match. Nine years on, the 36-year-old once again made a vital contribution to India’s triumph. From the England side, only Joe Root remains.

Azharuddin, who featured in India’s lone draw at Edgbaston in 1986 and a loss in 1996, reflected on how playing conditions have evolved.

“When we played there—the 1996 Test was in June—the pitches were green. Now the weather is warmer, which helps. Even during our county matches, the pitches there were bowler-friendly. But full credit to our bowlers, and to Shubman, for performing so well. He is a big-time player and seems to have a bright future. He just has to maintain his form and keep his feet on the ground,” Azharuddin told Patriot.

Gill leads by example

Gill led from the front with a sensational double century (269, 30x4s, 3x6s) and a follow-up century (161, 13x4s, 8x6s), setting a flurry of records. His combined tally of 430 runs fell just 27 short of Graham Gooch’s all-time record of 456 in a single Test, set against India in 1990. After two matches in the series, Gill already has 585 runs to his name.

His appointment as captain by Ajit Agarkar’s selection committee had raised eyebrows, as it also meant overlooking seniors like Jadeja and KL Rahul. Critics wondered whether the 25-year-old was ready, and whether the burden would affect his batting. Those fears have been resoundingly put to rest.

Heading into Leeds, Gill had gone 11 innings without a Test hundred, narrowly missing out with a 90 against New Zealand in Mumbai last November. But in his very first innings as skipper, he notched up a composed 147. He followed that up with a record-breaking 269 and 161 at Edgbaston, for which he won the Man of the Match award.

Notably, Gill’s composure has remained intact under the weight of captaincy. He exudes calm on the field, often seen smiling, and appears unfazed by pressure. However, given his status as an all-format player, including the IPL, his workload management could be a concern going forward.

The other heroes

While Gill was the standout, pacer Akash Deep emerged as the key bowling figure, claiming match figures of 10 for 187. Rishabh Pant (25 and 65), Mohammed Siraj (7 for 127), and the ever-reliable Jadeja (89 and 69 not out) also starred. Young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had scored a century in Leeds, added important runs (87 and 28).

Pant, continuing his fearless brand of cricket, scored centuries in both innings in Leeds and added crucial contributions at Edgbaston. Across two Tests, he has struck 26 boundaries and 13 sixes. In England alone, Pant has now hit 24 sixes in Tests, surpassing Ben Stokes’s previous record of 21 in South Africa.

This historic win also came in the absence of India’s pace spearhead Bumrah, who was rested to manage workload.

A comeback to remember

India had lost the first Test from a winning position, despite five of their batters scoring centuries. After gaining a slender first-innings lead, India had set England a target of 371, which they chased down for a five-wicket win. That loss led to three changes in the Indian XI—Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, and Akash Deep came in for Sai Sudharsan, Shardul Thakur, and Bumrah. While the changes raised eyebrows, they ultimately paid off.

India bounced back strongly, posting 587 in the first innings, thanks to Gill’s double century and valuable support from Jadeja and Jaiswal. From a precarious 211 for five, India rallied in style. England’s top order faltered under scoreboard pressure, slumping to 84 for five, before Jamie Smith (184 not out) and Harry Brook (158) mounted a fightback. Even so, England conceded a 180-run deficit.

India declared their second innings at 427 for six, leaving England an improbable target of 608. Despite their much-hyped ‘Bazball’ approach, England folded for 271. “Bazball works sometimes and it doesn’t work at times,” remarked Azharuddin.

Pacers Akash Deep, Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna accounted for 18 of the 20 wickets. Jadeja and Sundar took one apiece.

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Key moments that undid England

England captain Ben Stokes identified two crucial moments: letting India off the hook at 211 for five and slumping to 84 for five in response.

“Having them at 200 for five, we were really happy there, and not being able to burst them open, and then being 80 for five—it’s tough to be able to scrape it back from there,” he admitted.

Looking ahead, a visibly frustrated Stokes added, “We got to reset on everything and see where we end up, come Lord’s.”

Gill, meanwhile, praised his team’s collective effort, especially the bowlers.

“All the things we spoke about after the last game, we were spot on with all of those things. I think the way we came back with our bowling and fielding was tremendous to see,” said Gill.

“They [the bowlers] were magnificent. The way we were able to get through their top order—they bowled brilliantly. He [Akash Deep] hit the right lengths and was getting the ball to move both ways, which was difficult on a pitch like this. He was magnificent for us.”