Day three of the ongoing Edgbaston Test was a rollercoaster for India. The visitors started strong but faced a fierce fightback before regaining control late in the day. While they ended the day on top, India also recorded an unwanted Test cricket milestone.
India began the day with great intensity. Mohammed Siraj removed Joe Root and Ben Stokes with back-to-back deliveries, leaving England reeling at 85/5. With momentum on their side, the visitors looked set for a big lead.
But England staged a stunning counter-attack through Harry Brook and Jamie Smith. The pair stitched together a 303-run partnership for the sixth wicket off just 368 balls — England’s second-highest sixth-wicket stand in Test history. Smith scored a blistering century in just 80 balls, the joint-third-fastest Test hundred for England. Brook played a steady knock, reaching 158 before falling to the second new ball.
This stand is now the record for England’s highest sixth-wicket partnership at home, surpassing all previous efforts on English soil. It sits behind only the 399-run partnership between Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow against South Africa in 2016 in Cape Town (England’s overall best for the sixth wicket).
Despite being under pressure, Shubman Gill and his men bounced back after taking the second new ball. Akash Deep clean-bowled Brook, which triggered a collapse. England were eventually bowled out for 407 in 89.3 overs. Smith remained unbeaten on 184 and Siraj finished with 6/70, while Akash bagged 4/88.
Even though they ended up with strong figures, both pacers had no answers during the Brook-Smith assault.
Unwanted Sixth-Wicket Record for India
Despite their control in the match, India registered an unwanted record. This was the third time India have conceded a 300+ sixth-wicket stand in Tests, more than any other team.
- 352 runs: vs New Zealand in Wellington, 2014 – from 94/5 to 446/6 (Brendon McCullum & BJ Watling)
- 351 runs: vs Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad, 2009 – from 375/5 to 726/6 (Mahela & Prasanna Jayawardene)
- 303 runs: vs England in Edgbaston, 2025 – from 85/5 to 388/6 (Brook & Smith)
No other team has conceded such a partnership more than twice. England and South Africa have done it twice, while Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have conceded it once.
India’s recurring pattern of losing momentum after early success shows how dangerous lower-order counter-attacks can be in Test cricket.
Despite the unwanted stat, India came out to bat with a lead of 180 runs and began positively. Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul added 51 runs in quick time before Jaiswal fell for 28. At stumps, India were 64/1, with Rahul and Karun Nair unbeaten, stretching the lead to 244 runs.
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