Leather hunt, some redemption, wasted chances: A look at India’s winless Test journey in Birmingham

Edgbaston [UK], June 29 (ANI): Team India will play their second Test of the five-match tour of England at Edgbaston in Birmingham, where they have yet to secure a win.

The match at Birmingham will kick off on Wednesday. Team India trails by 0-1 in the series, failing to defend 371 runs against a Ben Duckett-charged England during the first Test at Leeds. The left-hander poured a heavy dosage of reverse sweeps on Team India’s plans, completing the Three Lions’ second-best run chase in Tests.

Indian fans and players alike would not like to see their record at Edgbaston, where they are yet to win a match. Seven out of eight matches have been lost, while one has ended in a draw.

In their previous match at Edgbaston back in July 2022, the rescheduled fifth Test of the 2021 series, India, under stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah, looked like a highly proud unit till the fourth innings. With centuries from Rishabh Pant (146) and Ravindra Jadeja (104) taking India to 416 from a shaky situation of 98/5 and pacers firing all cylinders, a defeat looked certain for England chasing 378 runs as they slipped to 109/3 despite a century partnership between openers Alex Lees and Zak Crawley.

However, centuries from Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root left India searching for answers, hunting for red cherry in every corner of the ground. The hosts pulled off their highest-ever run-chase in Tests and showed the Indians what the hype of their ‘Bazball’ school of cricket under skipper Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum was all about. The series ended in a 2-2 draw.

During the 2018 tour, the biggest story was that of a superstar making up for a major career slip-up in England during his initial years. Questioned about his ability against moving deliveries of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, Indian skipper Virat Kohli defended, survived edges and half-chances and drove to perfection, scoring his first Test ton in England, a blistering 149, a major chunk of which was made along with the tail end. With a loud roar and a kiss to his wedding ring, the ‘King Kohli’ gave it back in style.

However, despite his lone warrior batting effort and the sheer excellence of his bowlers, particularly Ishant Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin, the team could not chase down 194, being bundled out for 162 despite Virat’s second-innings fifty, which helped England take a 1-0 lead.

During the 2011 horror tour, when India was far from their usual competitive selves, Alastair Cook’s marathon 545-ball 294 outclassed, tired out, and depleted Indian bowling and batting morale. India conceded 710/7, the highest Test total at the venue and faced a crushing loss by an innings and 242 runs. India lost the series by this point.

Sachin Tendulkar’s classy 122 in 1996 during an eight-wicket loss and crushing losses by 132 runs in 1967 (during which India was skittled out for 92), innings & 78 runs in 1974 and innings & 83 runs in 1979 are some other memories fans will keep with themselves forever. The innings losses saw double tons coming from David Lloyd and David Gower (1974 and 1979, respectively), which rattled Indian bowlers.

Their sole draw came in 1986, when both teams shook hands as India attempted a 236-run chase, which ended in a draw at 174/5. India won that series by 2-0 under Kapil Dev’s captaincy. This remains their best performance in England. It was still a wasted chance to deliver a complete series whitewash, something no Indian skipper has done. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)

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