England captain Ben Stokes has described the Edgbaston pitch, where his team suffered a heavy 336-run defeat to India, as progressively becoming a “sub-continent” surface.
A Batting Paradise at Edgbaston
The recent Test match at Edgbaston witnessed an extraordinary amount of runs, with a total of 1692 runs scored across both innings. This made the pitch one of the flattest seen in England in the 21st century, ranking as the fourth flattest since records began in 2005.
Despite England’s aggressive “Bazball” approach, which saw them score a rapid 407 runs in their first innings at a rate over 4.50, they were ultimately outplayed by the Indian side.
Stokes on the “Sub-Continent” Surface
Following the defeat, Ben Stokes expressed his view that the pitch characteristics changed significantly as the game progressed. He noted that the surface began to resemble those found in the Indian sub-continent, which naturally favoured the visiting team.
“To be honest, it’s probably ended up being more of a subcontinent pitch as it got deeper and deeper into the game,” Stokes stated. He acknowledged that while England initially exploited some movement, the conditions later became incredibly challenging for his bowlers.
India, being more accustomed to such conditions, were better equipped to capitalize. Stokes admitted that England was “out-skilled” in this match, attributing it partly to the evolving pitch and India’s familiarity with such surfaces.
India’s Dominant Performance
India’s batters truly dominated the game, amassing a massive 587 in their first innings. Captain Shubman Gill was the star, achieving a historic feat by scoring 250 and 150 in the same Test, accumulating an incredible 430 runs in the match.
Overall, India scored 1014 runs across their two innings, setting a new record for their highest-ever total in 591 Test matches. Their pace attack also proved superior, with Akash Deep claiming 10 wickets and Mohammed Siraj taking six in the first innings. Indian seamers collectively took 17 wickets compared to England pacers’ eight, highlighting the stark difference in attack potency.
McCullum Regrets Toss Decision
England head coach Brendon McCullum reflected on the match, admitting that the decision to bowl first after winning the toss might have been a mistake. They did not anticipate the pitch playing out as flat as it did.
“We probably looked back on that toss and said did we miss an opportunity there and it’s probably fair,” McCullum commented. He added that while England had India at 200 for 5 in the first innings, they failed to press their advantage, ultimately falling behind in the game once India posted such a large total.
- The Edgbaston pitch was exceptionally flat, leading to a high-scoring Test match.
- England captain Ben Stokes believed the pitch evolved to favour India’s sub-continent style of play.
- India’s Shubman Gill delivered a record-breaking batting performance.
- England coach Brendon McCullum expressed regret over the decision to bowl first after winning the toss.
Both teams will now look ahead to the third Test, which is scheduled to begin on Thursday at Lord’s.
