India crush England by massive 336 runs to seal historic Edgbaston win, levels series 1-1

Birmingham: India broke their near six-decade-old Birmingham duck in emphatic fashion, their bowlers doing what their English counterparts couldn’t with a mesmerising performance on a flatbed of a pitch to level the series 1-1 in front of a passionate Sunday crowd.

Ever since playing their first Test in the West Midlands ground way back in 1967, the Indians had lost seven and drawn once without tasting a victory in eight tries. That dubious record was set up nicely to be rewritten following four days of complete domination, but the task still had to be completed on the fifth and final day of the second Test. Overnight and morning rain threatened to play spoilsport to their ambitions, but when the sun came out around noon and the skies remained clear, Akash Deep shone like one of the precious diamonds from nearby Jewellery Quarter to script a memorable 336-run win.

The 28-year-old Akash, who came in as a replacement for lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah but made a telling impact in the first innings with a superb 4/88 show, led the demolition job in the second with a brilliant 6/99 while the rest of the attack chipped in beautifully by bowling to a plan without losing shape, shutting out England for 271 in the second session.

When the Indians checked into the ground, they were in for a depressing sight as the main square lay covered following persistent rain in the wee hours. Dark clouds were still present while they were warming up before rain lashed the ground as England, who were 72/3 overnight, looked like they may escape with a draw. India hoped and prayed for sunshine and they got their wishes fulfilled, awarded 80 overs to scalp the remaining seven England wickets.

Like he did on the second and fourth evenings, Akash breathed fire on the final morning. Considered a Mohammed Shami doppelganger for his run-up, bowling style and celebration, Akash made the ball spit venom like his illustrious India colleague, who is recuperating from an injury, would do. He got the ball to swing, in and out, sometimes sharply to leave the English batters befuddled. On a flat pitch more suited for T20s where even the English bowlers struggled, Akash got the ball to do magical things. It was like he was bowling with a different Dukes ball in English pitches of old.

He got India off to a rollicking start when he dismissed Ollie Pope in the second over of the day with some extra bounce before catching first-innings centurion Harry Brook cold with the classic set-up — outswing, outswing and then a sharp in-swinger. England slumped to 83/5 and they were in deep trouble now. It was no time for their high-octane ‘Bazball’ but good old-fashioned defensive cricket as saving the game was the only option ahead of them.

Skipper Ben Stokes (33) and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith (88), who bailed England out with a triple-century sixth-wicket partnership with Brook, defied India with a stubborn 70-run stand. They mostly defended but pulled out the odd big stroke to frustrate the Indians who didn’t drop their guard for a moment. But with the ball having gotten softer and nothing on the pitch, the Indians needed a moment of magic to snap the Smith-Stokes stay. Washington Sundar, a debatable selection for this game, provided that, trapping Stokes leg-before in the last over before lunch.

The Indians came out charging post their meals, but Smith continued to stand like a brick wall, this time with support from Chris Woakes. Time was ticking over, and nervous energy crept in as it suddenly became overcast. Then Prasidh Krishna, pilloried unfairly for his short-length bowling, dismissed Woakes with that very ball. The Indians celebrated vehemently, knowing a win was in sight. Smith then went for broke, more in hope of getting a second century of the match, but when he was caught in the deep, it was all over for England, and the final nail was hammered in by, who else, Akash a minute before tea.