The Shubman Gill era didn’t just arrive—it smashed the front door off its hinges. With a jaw-dropping 269 and a follow-up 161, Gill led India to their most emphatic overseas Test victory, steamrolling England by a staggering 336 runs. This was England’s heaviest home defeat since the birth of Bazball. Jasprit Bumrah was missing, but India didn’t seem to notice, with Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj ripping through England’s line-up.
The final blow came on Day 5, when Akash Deep took six wickets to bundle England out for a mere 271 while chasing a Mount Everest of a target of just over 600.
It was India’s first-ever Test win in Birmingham. India didn’t just show up—they took over.
While England fielded on Day 1 hoping for some early joy, India had other plans. Yashasvi Jaiswal blazed away to 87 before Gill took center stage, forming partnerships with Rishabh Pant and Karun Nair. Trouble loomed at 211 for five, with both Pant and Nair failing to cash in on starts and Nitish Kumar Reddy contributing a lonely run. But Gill found company in the experienced Ravindra Jadeja, who helped script a double-century stand with the skipper to push India to a mammoth 587, virtually ensuring they wouldn’t lose the Test
Washington Sundar chipped in with a handy 42, making the case for three all-rounders over Kuldeep Yadav seem almost prophetic.
England’s response began disastrously: 87 for five, with Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, and Ollie Pope dismissed in quick succession by Siraj and Akash. Then came a twist—Harry Brook (158) and debutant Jamie Smith (184*) played the role of saviours, adding 300-plus runs for the sixth wicket. But just as England dared to dream, Akash Deep returned to crash the party, ending the stand and mopping up the tail.
India’s second innings was a statement in dominance. Jaiswal and KL Rahul laid the foundation, Karun Nair added substance, and then Gill delivered the knockout punch—161 with an elegance that made it look easy. With support from Pant and Jadeja, India declared late on Day 4, ahead by more than 600 runs.
Some raised eyebrows at the timing of the declaration. Siraj and Akash Deep raised wickets instead. Siraj sent Crawley back for a duck, while Akash claimed Duckett and then produced an absolute jaffa to castle Joe Root. England were three down before they’d even wiped off the sleep.
On Day 5, India came hunting even though rain robbed them of priceless overs. Akash got Brook and Pope, Sundar knocked over Stokes just before lunch, and England’s lower order folded soon after. Jamie Smith tried to resist again, but this time there was no miracle. Akash Deep ended with ten wickets in the match, sealing a win wrapped in dominance and tied with a tricolour ribbon.
Gill’s own transformation was perhaps the most telling. After the Leeds loss, he had demanded “daddy hundreds” from the top order. He then delivered 430 runs across two innings—the most ever by an Indian in a Test—breaking Sunil Gavaskar’s 1971 record in the West Indies.
And what of Bumrah’s absence? Siraj and Akash ensured he wasn’t missed, outbowling the home side on their own turf. England’s batters certainly won’t forget Akash anytime soon. Just ask Harry Brook, who was cleanly dissected in both innings.
Even fielding got a reboot. After nine dropped catches in Leeds, India’s slip cordon in Birmingham was all hands and no fumbles. Jadeja contributed twin fifties, Sundar chipped in with bat and ball, and India corrected every flaw exposed in the opening Test.
England, meanwhile, were left with a Bazball hangover. Their bowlers, led by Chris Woakes and flanked by fresh faces, Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse, struggled on a lifeless pitch and a Dukes ball that would go out of shape.
India now head to Lord’s with the series tied 1-1 and the momentum firmly in their corner. Bumrah will return. So will the expectations. But if Birmingham proved anything, it’s that this Indian team, under Gill, doesn’t wait for stars to align—they go out and rewrite the script.
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