Courtesy: BCCI
England taking on India in the seconnd Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham will not only be a crucial contest from the point of view of the hosts who, despite having won the opening game at Headingley, would want to go 2-nil up in the series (post this game), but the contest will actually be of more significance for the visitors. That's simply down to the fact that India will look at this match as an opportunity to bounce back in the series and it could be a hotly-contested one.
Even if that means facing the ire of the team that already has the winning momentum on its side - England! Having said that, what must be truly inspected and pondered over at this time are some of the performances that the visiting team have accrued at this particular venue. The focus right now, therefore, is on India's team records and stats at Edgbaston, Birmingham in Test cricket.
India’s Team Records and Stats at Edgbaston, Birmingham
How many contests has India won and lost at the venue of Birmingham at Edgbaston?
It has to be said and without much of a doubt that in the current context, where it comes to the upcoming Test, then the team’s past outings at the venue will always play on Shubman Gill and his team’s mind.
Between the year 1967 and until 2022, Team India played no fewer than eight different Test matches at tha particular venue: Edgbaston, Birmingham.
But however what does cut a grim figure, rather a surprisingly shocking one is the very fact that India lost not less than 7 tests at this venue. What could, one is compelled to ask, get more disappointing? How much will this grim record (even though it belongs to the past) affect the morale and confidence of the team about to play its very next game here, is something none can tell. But only expect the future to reveal.
When did India last not lose a Test against England at Birmingham?
As a matter of fact the only time where the visiting Test team from India did not lose a test match was actually way back in time in the year 1986, to be precise.
This was a period of time where the Test team managed to draw the third test match of that series. Interestingly, back then it was a three-match series in England. However, back in the year 2022 is when the two teams last played a contest at the venue of Birmingham.
However, the game eventually belonged to the hosts England who went onto chase what can only be called a mighty score of 378 in the final innings of that game with Jonny Bairstow firing successive hundreds in that very contest.
How have the Indian batters performed at Edgbaston in Birmingham where it comes to making runs prolifically?
Another facet that’ll play on the mind of the Indian cricket team about to play its next Test at Birmingham pertains to a batting stat that’ll be a highlight for visitors during the upcoming match at Edgbaston.
And it’s worthwhile to note that while eight Tests have been played between the two sides at this venue so far, only four Indian batters have struck a century at this venue.
And among these, while the two Indian batters who have hit centuries at Birmingham include - the great batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar with 122 in 1996 and Virat Kohli with 149 in the 2018 series - the other two players are gladly part of the current Test team set up in England.
These other two Indian batters are Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant. Ahead of the Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham, the very fact that both Jadeja and Pant have struck hundreds at this ground will likely lift the confidence of the Gill-captained side.
Back in the year 2022, Pant had hit a fluent 146 here and given India something to cheer about even as that particular contest didn’t go his team’s way.
What about the 100-run plus stands for India at Birmingham?
As the doting cricket fan prepares to see the exciting and hopefully inspiring India at Edgbaston, Birmingham, chances are, there appears another concerning batting stat that the team should now think about. And once again, it’s concerned with the past.
India’s team records and stats at Edgbaston, Birmingham seem to point to an area of concern and that’s the ability to stitch useful big partnerships in the middle.
So what is it all about?
With just over day and a half to go before Test match begins at Edgbaston, Birmingham, the present day Indian cricket team will reflect closely on the fact that as far as the past was concerned, then thus far, only two century plus stands have been created at the ground.
One of the two century plus stands here includes the valiant partnership between the very two men both of whom hit hundreds here back in the day. In the 2022 series, Edgbaston was witness to an enthralling 222 run stand, a really big partnership, between Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant. This was a very amazing sixth wicket partnership that blossomed and came to the fore when the team had lost several wickets and seemed in dire straits.
This time around at Edgbaston, Birmingham, the visiting side will be glad that both Pant and Jadeja, match winners on their day are with the squad and one among the two has already fired two brilliant hundreds on this very tour.
Even much earlier than that contest of 2022, the likes of Sunil Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan had also shared a fine century plus batting stand but that was many moons ago.
Still, fine memories for India. What do you reckon?
A facet that will inspire Indian bowlers
Ahead of the contest at Edgbaston, Birmingham, there’s going to be a bowling stat that the Shubman Gill-led team would like to pay close attention to. As far as India’s team records and stats at Edgbaston, Birmingham are concerned then the very fact that as many as three bowlers have registered fifers at the venue will hold the team in good stead, even as this is a past record or happening.
First, there’s the iconic Kapil Dev’s 5-146 in the year 1979, followed by Chetan Sharma’s 6-58 in the year 1986 and then, Ishant Sharma’s 5-51.
Having said that while all of these feats belong to the past, Team India of the present day can take a lot of heart from the fact that back in the day, the brilliant Chetan Sharma took ten wickets in that particular contest which means bowlers can target a lot of wickets even now in the England versus India, second Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
And as far as India’s team records and stats at Edgbaston, Birmingham are concerned, the bowlers back in the day commanding English batters and getting the better of them is indeed a motivating happening and one that should inspire the team of today.
