India level series: The momentum, the gaps and the game ahead
The series sits tantalisingly poised at 1-1. After a dominant win at Edgbaston, India have levelled the ledger, but the battle is far from done. In Test cricket, momentum is a strange beast — it builds silently, then announces itself loudly, only to disappear the next day. The challenge now is not just to ride the wave but to understand its rhythm.
So what do we expect England to do from here?
They’ll return to what has worked for them in recent years — high intent, attacking fields, pushing the pace with bat and ball, and unsettling rhythm. But that approach carries risk, especially against a side like India that has begun to thrive on soaking pressure and waiting for openings. The hosts will likely review how the Edgbaston Test slipped — not just tactically, but psychologically. If they’re honest, they’ll admit that India’s calmness under pressure rattled them.
India’s method at Edgbaston was precise. They slowed the game down. They built pressure. They refused to panic. And when they sensed the moment — they pounced. The bowling unit functioned like a disciplined orchestra, each playing their part, even without the conductor-in-chief, Jasprit Bumrah. His absence, once feared, wasn’t felt.
That’s the story of this win — and the shift in narrative.
When a team wins, so many questions get swept under the rug. No one is talking about why Kuldeep Yadav didn’t make the XI. No one is discussing Bumrah’s absence. No one’s highlighting the inexperience in the middle order or the untested nature of the bowling attack. Because a win — especially an away win — changes perception. It doesn’t just boost confidence. It erases doubt.
Suddenly, India look like a team with no weak link. Shubman Gill has found form, not just with runs but with authority. The pacers have stepped up. The captain has grown into the role. And in moments when games hinge on individual nerve, India have held theirs.
England, on the other hand, face a few uncomfortable truths.
Their top order is still inconsistent. Joe Root and Ben Stokes haven’t dominated. Their spinner hasn’t influenced play. And their attack, while sharp in bursts, hasn’t sustained pressure across sessions. More crucially, India have pulled them out of their comfort zone — into contests where patience matters more than pace.
The series is now a two-Test shootout. The pressure is equal. The margins thinner.
Cricket, like life, is fickle. One performance can shift perspective. One result can silence scrutiny. Yesterday’s failure becomes irrelevant. Tomorrow’s challenge is too far ahead. What matters is today — and what you do with it.
India did plenty at Edgbaston. Now, England must answer.
— The writer is a former captain of the Mumbai cricket team
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