Following England’s 336-run defeat to India in the second Test at Edgbaston, skipper Ben Stokes remarked that the pitch ended up resembling conditions typically found in the subcontinent—ultimately suiting the visiting Indian team more.
The match, which saw a staggering 1,692 runs scored—second-highest in a Test match played in England—was played on one of the flattest surfaces seen in the country this century. Cricviz analysts rated the Edgbaston track as the fourth flattest Test pitch in England since 2005.
Despite England’s aggressive response of 407 runs at over 4.5 runs per over in reply to India’s mammoth first-innings total of 587, they were undone by a dominant Indian batting display. Indian captain Shubman Gill created history by becoming the first player to score both a 250 and 150 in the same Test match, ending with a match tally of 430 runs—the second-highest aggregate in Test history.
While England’s batters tried to keep pace, the difference between the two bowling attacks proved decisive. India’s seamers, led by Akash Deep (10 wickets in the match) and Mohammed Siraj (6 wickets in the first innings), claimed 17 of the 20 English wickets. This enabled India to become only the second team in Test history after Australia (1938, 1969) to score over 1000 runs and dismiss the opposition entirely in the same match.
“It Turned into a Subcontinent Pitch” – Stokes
Speaking to Test Match Special, Stokes acknowledged the pitch had changed significantly as the game progressed.
“To be honest, it probably ended up being more of a subcontinent pitch as it got deeper and deeper into the game. There was certainly a little bit in it to start with, and I think we exposed that very well early on,” he said.
England had India at 211 for 5 early on, but allowed 376 more runs in the innings, with Gill scoring a career-best 269, aided by Ravindra Jadeja (89) and Washington Sundar (42).
“As the game went on, it just became a real tough slug for us,” Stokes admitted. “With the Indian attack and their familiarity with such conditions, they knew how to exploit them better than we did. Sometimes, you just get out-skilled—and that’s what happened this week.”
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McCullum Reflects on Toss Decision
England head coach Brendon McCullum pointed to the decision to bowl first as a possible misstep.
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“In hindsight, we probably missed an opportunity with the toss,” McCullum said. “We didn’t anticipate the pitch would play quite like that. Having them at 200 for 5, we had a chance—but when the opposition ends up with 580, you’re always chasing the game.”