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Match Preview:
The Second Test begins Wednesday, July 2, and will be played until July 6 at Edgbaston, Birmingham. With a breathtaking chase of 371 on five wickets at Headingley, England take a 1-0 lead in this five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy tie
India, in the aftermath of that loss, are geared to even the score.
England: team and shape
- Same XI as Headingley, which is confident in the winning combination
- Jofra Archer joins the 14-man squad, being called up last in 2021, after coming back in county actionA reward on the training being good, but he is not yet squad depth as much as he is a possible starter this week
- The presence of key batters such as Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, and Joe Root provides stability whereas the bowling attack, consisting of Stokes, Woakes, Carse, and Bashir, is versatile, and it shook the Indian tail at Leeds.
The swashbuckling batting with positive intent, supported by disciplined seam bowling is front and centre in the fearless English approach, better known as Bazball. their Headingley pursuit was temperate and tactical mastery of Stokes/McCullum
India: alterations, batmen, bowlers:
India was remodeled to a large extent following the defeat at Headingley with three changes
- Akash Deep comes in the place of rested Jasprit Bumrah, a controlled effort to save him till Lord (Test 3)
- Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy come in, providing some more all-rounders batting depth
- Karun Nair up to No. 3, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill (c), and Rishabh Pant (wk) at the front
Yashasvi Jaiswal: Crushed a century at Leeds recently, his ego is through the roof and he is on the way to 2000 Tests at a faster rate than Dravid
Rishabh Pant: The man who was a hero at Edgbaston in 2022 (146 off 111), he is back with one more big performance to write his legacy as a cricketer playing abroad
Shubman Gill: His century at Headingley have locked him as the captain and the aura of leadership
Bowling & conditions:
- With Bumrah rested the seam weight is now on Siraj, Deep, Prasidh Krishna and Arshdeep (although some anticipate Arshdeep will be rotated in).
- Spinning options: Jadeja and Sundar must maintain their positions because the Edgbaston pitch favours visiting spinners. People are publicly clamouring, however, to see Kuldeep Yadav, his wrist-spin might be able to exploit the Bazball-aggression of England
What Englands needs
- Early wickets with seamers, especially when there is cloud cover. On Day 1, Stokes won the toss, and decided to bowl first
- Then there is the pressure to bat and to conquer or outdo India to maintain their aggressive pace.
- Openers get off to a good start to stunt the English seam attack. Jaiswal/Rahul has to give bite.
- In the absence of Bumrah, Siraj & co will be forced to hit early and remain disciplined.
- Mastering the spin: Jadeja and Sundar (or Kuldeep) could end up turning the game against England, who are not comfortable with wrist-spin.
- Pant/Gill big contributions - a tonor by either of them places India in a secure position.
Edgbaston has a history of not being a spinner paradise but the recent figures indicate that the visiting spinners perform better there (sub-60 str, avg <30)
England has also recently won Tests at this ground, including the 378-run chase in 2022, their second-highest chase
The weather prediction is cloudy-overcast mornings, and thus swing bowling may be effective once more.
Watch list of players:
- Jashasvi Jaiswal & Shubman Gill - essential should India wish to be a long-distance runner.
- Rishabh Pant- player of the match through bat or gloves.
- Chris Woakes & Brydon Carse - investigating seamers of England.
- Washington Sundar / Ravindra Jadeja- their spin, and the way England copes with it, may change the game.
Bottom line:
England arrive with confidence and stability pouring in them in the hope of their tried and tested, aggressive formula which has not altered. India, stinging over defeat, prefer depth, balance and experience with possible twist in their spin department. The match is a little bit more in the favour of England, however the pitch in Edgbaston and weather might swing the match. India will have to bat sensibly and their seamers will have to strike, otherwise, it will be a dramatic contest. A typical showdown ensuing.
Score at Lunch: India 98/2 (25 Overs) Yashasvi Jaiswal 62*, Shubman Gill 1*
