Following England's significant 337-run defeat against India in the second Test at Edgbaston, captain Ben Stokes pinpointed two critical moments that he believes swung the match in India's favor. The loss leveled the five-match series at 1-1, with India securing their first-ever Test win at the venue.
Stokes, reflecting on the match, stated that England's inability to capitalize on India being 200 for 5 in their first innings was a significant missed opportunity. He felt that England should have "burst them open" from that position. The second moment Stokes highlighted was England's own collapse to 80 for 5 in response to India's first innings total. He admitted that recovering from such a position was always going to be an uphill battle. "Tough one. Two moments. Having them at 200/5 and not being able to burst them open. And then being 80/5 — it was always going to be tough to scrape it back from there," Stokes said.
Stokes also commented on how the Edgbaston pitch changed as the game progressed, suggesting it began to favor the Indian team more than his own. "As it got deeper, the wicket didn't play the way we expected. It probably suited India more," he noted. Despite trying various strategies and altering their plans, England found it difficult to regain control once India gained the upper hand. "We tried everything, changed plans, but when a team is on top of you, it's hard to wrestle it back," Stokes added.
Acknowledging the quality of the opposition, Stokes praised Shubman Gill, whose outstanding performance significantly contributed to India's victory. Gill scored a double century in the first innings and followed it up with a rapid 161 in the second, setting England a formidable target of 608 runs. "Shubman had an unbelievable game with the bat," Stokes said. He also lauded the performance of wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, who top-scored for England in the second innings with a fighting 88. Stokes said that Smith has been "incredible since he came into the team". He further added, Smith "goes massively under the radar with his keeping, which is what you want from a keeper". Stokes found the moment Smith and Harry Brook wrestled back momentum "very, very special to watch from the dressing room".
India's victory was propelled by Akash Deep, who claimed his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket, finishing with figures of 6/99. His double strike in the morning session, which was affected by rain, and the dismissal of Smith after lunch, broke England's resistance.
Looking ahead to the third Test at Lord's, Stokes emphasized the importance of his team regrouping and resetting. He also acknowledged the need for the bowlers to recover after a physically demanding match.
