England head coach Brendon McCullum admitted that his side got the toss wrong at Edgbaston, after opting to bowl first on a surface that failed to behave as expected during the second Test. The decision backfired as England suffered their first-ever Test defeat to India at the iconic venue—losing by a massive 336 runs.
The young Indian team, led by Shubman Gill, delivered a commanding performance. After being put in to bat, India racked up a mammoth 587 in the first innings, powered by a brilliant double century from their skipper. In response, England fought hard to post 407, but India still secured a 180-run lead. That advantage was stretched further as India declared their second innings at 427/6, setting England an imposing target of 608.
Edgbaston pitch surprised England: McCullum
Reflecting on the match, McCullum told BBC Test Match Special:
“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. We didn’t expect the wicket to play quite as it did, so we probably got it slightly wrong. But we did have them at 200 for 5 and weren’t able to capitalise. When you win the toss and bowl first, you’re certainly not anticipating the opposition to post nearly 600. From that point on, we were always behind in the game.”
England began the final day on 72/3 but soon crumbled under relentless pressure from the Indian bowling attack. By lunch, they were reeling at 153/6 and were eventually bowled out in the second session for 271, never posing a serious threat to India’s dominance.
It was a comprehensive display from a well-rounded Indian side, leaving England to regroup ahead of the third Test at Lord’s with the series now tied 1–1.
For More Sports Related News: Follow RevSportz