New Delhi: The series-opening loss India suffered at Headingley was more than a defeat. Losing a match after scoring more than 800 runs, five centuries, and a bowler picking up a five-wicket haul can take a lot out mentally and physically.
It will take a lot of effort and courage for India to get up from the knockout blow at Leeds, but it is exactly what they must do in the second Test against England at Edgbaston, Birmingham, starting on July 2, Wednesday.
India threw away multiple golden opportunities to go 1-0 up in the series, allowing England to record a famous win with a successful run chase of 371 runs. Had India taken their chances in the field, and the lower-order showed some resilience, India would have entered the second Test with sky-high confidence.
Dismal record at Edgbaston makes India’s job tougher
Instead, the Shubman Gill-led team face an uphill task to win a Test at Edgbaston, a venue where they have never won a Test.
Of the eight matches played at Edgbaston, India have lost seven and drawn one, with their most recent meeting happening in 2022.
It was the famous rescheduled fifth Test of the 2021 series when India, just like the recently-concluded Headingley Test, looked strong until the fourth innings. Chasing 378 runs, England slipped to 109/3 despite a century partnership between openers Alex Lees and Zak Crawley.
However, Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root hit superb centuries as the home side pulled off their highest-ever run chase in Tests to level the series 2-2.
Three years later, India, for the ninth time, would try to break the Edgbaston curse, but they would have to do it without the services of their main wicket-taker, Jasprit Bumrah. The premier fast bowler is unlikely to feature in the second Test due to workload management. The star pacer, who was the only bowler who looked like taking wickets in the first Test, is set to play only three Tests out of five, and the second match is not one of them.
His absence would weaken India’s bowling attack significantly and make the task of ending the Edgbaston jinx nearly impossible.
Can India overcome the odds?
India’s dismal record at Edgbaston, the wounds of Leeds loss, the momentum for England and no Bumrah in the bowling line-up make the home side heavy favourites to win the second Test and take a 2-0 lead to effectively put the series out of reach for India.
Even if India lose the Edgbaston Test, they can still make a comeback by winning the remaining three Tests, with Bumrah also likely to play a major role in the latter part of the series. While that remains a possibility, it looks a far-fetched one.
Only once in the 147-year-old history of Tests has a team come from 0-2 behind to win the five-match series. In the 1936-37 Ashes Down Under, Australia, led by the legendary Sir Don Bradman, stunned England by making a sensational comeback and winning the series 3-2 after losing the first two Tests.
That’s the only time a team has come from 0-2 down to win a Test series. India, especially after the demoralising Headingly loss, certainly need something special to stay alive in the series, and what better way to begin than conquering Edgbaston.