England’s head coach Brendon McCullum has admitted that the decision to bowl first in the second Test against India at Edgbaston was a mistake, as his team suffered a crushing 336-run defeat. Despite a similar strategy working in the first Test at Headingley—where England chased down 371 successfully—things took a drastically different turn in Birmingham.
India Dominate After England Opt to Bowl
England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and decided to bowl first, hoping to replicate their previous success. However, the decision backfired as India, led by skipper Shubman Gill, piled on a massive first-innings total of 587. Gill was in sublime form, scoring a marathon 269.
England, in reply, were bowled out for 407, trailing by 180 runs. Any hopes of a comeback were dashed when Gill continued his dominance with a second-innings score of 161, setting England a mammoth target of 608 runs.
Despite England’s reputation for chasing big totals under the leadership of Stokes, the challenge proved too steep. They collapsed and eventually lost the match by 336 runs, giving India a well-deserved series-leveling victory.
McCullum Reflects on Tactical Error and Praises India
Reflecting on the match, McCullum acknowledged the toss decision didn’t go as expected.
“As the game unfolded, we probably looked back on that toss and said did we miss an opportunity there, and it’s probably fair,” McCullum told ESPNcricinfo.
“We didn’t expect the wicket to play quite as it did. We had India at 200 for 5 but couldn’t capitalize. When you bowl first, you’re not expecting the opposition to score 580.”
He also credited Jamie Smith and Harry Brook for their fightback during England’s innings, which briefly brought balance to the match. However, McCullum admitted that India were the better side over the five days.
“We ran second for five days. India played exceptionally well. Shubman Gill was at an elite level. We weren’t quite able to play how we wanted to on this pitch, and they thoroughly deserved to win.”
McCullum also praised Indian pacer Akash Deep, who stepped up in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah.
“Akash Deep bowled outstandingly. He hit his length and utilized the surface brilliantly. He was exceptional,” said McCullum, adding that England need to be ready with better planning as Bumrah is expected to return for the third Test at Lord’s.
With the series now level, England will need to reassess their strategies ahead of what promises to be a challenging third Test, especially with India expected to be back at full strength.
