Team India will look to equalize the series with the second Test, which begins on July 2 at Birmingham, after having lost the first Test at Leeds. The team, however, has an uncertainty in its hands, as Jasprit Bumrah’s chances are still not ascertained. India will have to be at their A-game on the ground to beat the home team to defeat the challenge. This group of players will need to pose correctly and give their all to ensure that they compensate for the prospective lack of their major pace spearhead. As the series is still to be won, India will be quick to recover and make a loud statement.
India Team Overview
The Indian cricket team was in a situation of great pressure and stress when they prepared themselves for the second important test in Birmingham on July 2, after their failure at Leeds. The location here changes to Birmingham, and the playing eleven of India will have to endure even more doubts, especially considering that Jasprit Bumrah is yet to prove that he is fine.
The Indian side, led by Shubman Gill, will have to take immediate stock, and KL Rahul, along with the middle-order batting, must perform much better than the way they fell in the first Test. Team selection is a hard choice that the team management has to make, especially in the pace bowling department, in case Bumrah is not selected.
England Team Preview
England is full of confidence as they cruised to a victory in the first Test due to their skipper Ben Stokes and their aggressive approach of Bazball initiated by Brendon McCullum. The team is on a roll and will aim to make use of this home-field advantage.
The batting lineup that includes Joe Root, Harry Brook, and Jonny Bairstow has demonstrated their potential, and their bowling lineup in the form of Chris Woakes and the new face Shoaib Basher has measured up to the Indian batting group. England will be hoping that they will be able to retain their fearless attitude and gain a clear advantage in the series.
India vs England, 2nd Test: Match Details
| Match | India vs England, 2nd Test |
|---|---|
| Venue | Birmingham (Edgbaston) |
| Date & Time (IST) | July 2-6, 3:30 PM |
| Live Broadcast and Streaming Details | JioStar Network Channels, JioHotstar (App & Website) |
India vs England, 2nd Test: Pitch Report
According to early reports in Birmingham, the Edgbaston pitch should present plenty of carry and bounce to the fast bowlers, though there should also be some spin during the course of a match. The surface is known to give an advantage to the batsmen capable of playing aggressively and the seam movement observed in the first couple of sessions may be difficult as well. When the match wears down, conditions of the pitch are considered to decline, due to which the toss is an important aspect.
India vs England, 2nd Test: Weather Report
The Birmingham weather forecast indicates that the first two days are partly cloudy and the weather temperature is close to 26 o C. The following days are looking much sunnier, with a high of 28 degrees C on days 3 and 4 and possibly some scattered rain on day 4, which may hamper the final game.
India vs England, 2nd Test: Toss Report
Both teams will prefer to bat first on what appears to be a good batting surface, especially with the possibility of rain on the final day.
India vs England, 2nd Test: Team Analysis
India Strengths:
The India team has the ability to fight back despite losing the first Test. Captain Shubman Gill demonstrated in glimpses that he had it in the tank and will want to take charge of matters, director. The new opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul has the capability of giving sustainable starts, and the presence of Karun Nair brings more batting to the lineup.
Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna are there to provide quality in the pace bowling unit in the absence of Bumrah. In case Akash Deep or Arshdeep Singh is given a chance, there would be additional firepower available. Aggressive batting and keeper-wrist combo skills of Rishabh Pant can be said to be still valuable assets.
India Weaknesses:
The only issue is Jasprit Bumrah, because without him, India will be greatly lacking in terms of pace attack. The middle order, especially Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair, also needs to be more resilient against good England bowling. England might also take advantage of the fact that the team relies too heavily on the help of some key players, such as Pant and Jadeja. The experience in English conditions, which some players lack remains an issue, especially when there are pressure situations.
England Strengths:
The advantage that England has is psychological because of the winning of the first Test. Their Batting-line up with the consistency of Joe root and stroke play of Harry Brook, has finally got the correct balance between the Bazball game and traditional Test batting.
Pace bowling attire of Chris Woakes, Josh Tongue, and Brydon Carse has got used to home conditions, and the spin bowling of Shoaib Bashir adds a new twist to their seam bowling.
England Weaknesses:
On the one hand, the aggressive nature has worked for England, but on the other hand, it takes it to some risks that could be avoided. They continue to depend on Root and Stokes at middle-order and their lower order can be exposed in case the top batting falters.
The spin department, even after Bashir giving his word, needs the depth and experience that India has in Ravindra Jadeja and possibly Kuldeep Yadav.
India vs England, 2nd Test: Key Players
India:
Shubman Gill: The recent loss in the first Test is the biggest exam the young captain has ever come across as a leader. The leadership skills of Gill to lead by example will most certainly play a key role with the bat and to keep team morale high. It all boils down to his success in facing the moving ball and his use of tactics as a captain that will enable the Indian team to fight back in the series.
Rishabh Pant: The dynamic wicket-keeper batsman of India has the solution to the resurgence of India. His aggression in terms of his batting style can turn the tide of the game and his wicket-keeping skills behind the stumps are sharp and they give him the much-needed consistency. Pant will have to be able to counteract and create partnerships to make India successful.
Mohammed Siraj: Bumrah remains doubtful, leaving Siraj as the first-choice pace bowler in India. The reverse swing and the capability to swing the ball in both directions can prove vital to him in English conditions. Siraj is that man, because of his experience and current performance, who led the Indian pace attack.
England:
Joe Root: England still has their key batter as one that they can always count on. What makes Root the most vital England batsman is his experience batting against Indian bowling and his technique against pace and spin. Playing long innings and holding the batting lineup will be vital to the success of England and that is one of his strengths.
Ben Stokes: England skipper and with the benefit of being both batsman and bowler, Ben Stokes is going to be one of the most valuable cricketers. Stokes is one of the most aggressive batsmen and his bowling style is medium-pace, which is useful as an alternative. He is the most valuable player in England due to his leadership skills and the capability to perform in high-pressure situations.
Chris Woakes: The specialist at home stays the best seamer playing in the England conditions. A seam bowler who can swing (both directions) and swing both ways and can bat lower down the order makes Woakes a complete package. His performance in home conditions and current form becomes the main danger of Indian batsmen.
India vs England, 2nd Test: Probable Playing XIs
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Karun Nair, Rishabh Pant (vc & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep/Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna.
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Ben Stokes (c), Chris Woakes, Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse, Shoaib Bashir.
India vs England Test: Updated Head-to-Head Records
Total Test Series Played: 36
England Wins: 17
India Wins: 11
Drawn Series: 8
Current Series Status: England leads 1-0
India vs England, 2nd Test: Dream 11 Prediction
Wicket-Keeper: Rishabh Pant, Jamie Smith
Batters: Shubman Gill (c), Joe Root (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Harry Brook
All-rounders: Ben Stokes, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur
Bowlers: Mohammed Siraj, Chris Woakes, Prasidh Krishna
India vs England Test: Full Squad
India squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana.
England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.
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