New Delhi [India], July 7 : Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President KT Rama Rao (KTR) hailed the Indian team and skipper Shubman Gill for thier record-breaking 336-run victory over England at Edgbaston in the second test on Sunday.
India's triumph not only levelled the five-match series 1-1 but also marked their first-ever Test win at Edgbaston, Birmingham. The emphatic nature of the win drew widespread acclaim, particularly for skipper Shubman Gill, who scored 269 and 161 in the two innings to lead from the front, and Akash Deep, whose 10-wicket match haul was instrumental in dismantling England's batting.
KTR posted on his X handle, "What a magnificent performance by Team India in getting a historic victory at #EdgebastonTest. Fabulous all-round effort led by the supremely talented #ShubmanGill, who scored 430 runs !!! Unbelievable stuff. Take a bow, skipper.
He also lauded Akash Deep for his 10-wicket haul and Mohammed Siraj for his support from the other end.
And what a find #AkashDeep has been; a 10 wicket haul and ably assisted by the ever exuberant #Siraj. Lord's test just became so much more exciting now that we have one of the most potent pace attacks ever with Bumrah's return."
The victory at Edgbaston will go down as one of India's finest overseas Test performances, one that blended youthful brilliance with tactical mastery and set the stage for an electrifying showdown at the Home of Cricket.
Coming to the match, England once again opted to field first. After getting KL Rahul (2) early, an 80-run stand between Yashasvi Jaiswal (87 in 107 balls, with 13 fours) and Karun Nair (31 in 50 balls, with five fours) helped India gain some footing in the match. Skipper Shubman Gill had valuable partnerships of 203 runs with Ravindra Jadeja (89 in 137 balls, with 10 fours and a six) and a 144-run stand against Washington Sundar (42 in 103 balls, with three fours and a six), helping India towards 587, scoring 269 in 387 balls himself, with 30 fours and three sixes.
Shoaib Bashir (3/167) was the pick of the bowlers for England, while Chris Woakes and Josh Tongue also managed two each.
In England's first innings, India had them on the ropes with 84/5. However, a 303-run stand between Harry Brook (158 in 234 balls, with 17 fours and a six) and wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith (184* in 207 balls, with 21 fours and four sixes) sent India on an endless hunt for leather and answers. However, Siraj (6/70) and Akash Deep (4/88) got something out of the new ball and took down the last five wickets for 20 runs, bundling them down for 407 runs, gaining a 180-run lead.
India's response was a swift half-century partnership between Jaiswal (28 in 22 balls, with six fours) and KL Rahul, who also continued his good run with a 10-boundary-filled 55 in 84 balls. A 110-run stand for the fourth wicket between Rishabh Pant (65 in 58 balls, with eight fours and three sixes) and Gill upped the attack, while Gill managed yet another epic 175-run stand with Jadeja, scoring 161 in 162 balls, with 13 fours and eight sixes. Jadeja scored an unbeaten 69* in 118 balls, with five fours and a six. India declared at 427/6, leading by 607 runs and setting England a monstrous 608 runs to win.
During the run-chase, England was restricted to 50/3. Jamie Smith (88 in 99, with nine fours and four sixes) was the only glimmer of hope for England as they were skittled out for just 271 runs, losing by 336 runs, thanks to a brilliant spell from Akash Deep (6/99), who ended up taking a ten-fer.