Spin bowling coach Jeetan Patel has defended England’s decision to bowl first and insisted the hosts can still fight their way back in the second Test, despite India taking control on day two in Edgbaston.
Ben Stokes elected to bowl after winning the toss on the opening day, just as he did during England’s victory at Headingley in the series opener, only for India captain Shubman Gill’s record-breaking double century to put the tourists on top.
Gill scored an imperious 269, the highest score by an Indian batter on English soil and biggest by an Indian captain, with Stokes’ side eventually dismissing them for 587 after 151 overs in the field.
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Shubman Gill was finally caught out for 269 runs after an impressive performance at Edgbaston
England saw Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope dismissed from successive deliveries and lost three wickets inside the opening eight overs of their reply, with Harry Brook and Joe Root taking them to 77-3 at stumps, but still 510 runs behind.
“I don’t think you reflect on what’s happened,” Patel said. “Hindsight’s hindsight. We decided to bowl and we’ll stick by that. On the first day it showed enough for us and we created a lot of opportunities and it didn’t go our way.
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Ben Stokes’ England side endured 151 overs in the field as India posted 587
“The day might’ve looked different yesterday and this morning if we got those decisions. People are going to look at any scorecard and make a decision on what they’re going to think.
“I’m not really fussed and I don’t think any of us are about what’s said outside of the group.”
Gill led stands of 203 with Ravindra Jadeja and 144 with Washington Sundar, grinding his opponents down with 30 fours, three sixes and barely any false shots in a 387-ball innings.
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Gill revealed what he was working on before the series against England, following his stunning 269
“Credit must be given to Shubman in the way he has batted over the two days – it has been fantastic,” Patel added. “He has put on a proper masterclass on how to bat on a good wicket, but the guys threw everything at him and are rightly very tired after their efforts.
“I think to take 10 wickets on there – for us anywhere – has been fantastic. We’ve shown that it seems like a bit of a new-ball wicket, where it can do a little bit to start. Nobody knows how the older ball can react but so far they’ve done what we need to do.”
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Ravindra Jadeja loses his trousers as he dives to cut off Zak Crawley’s shot early in England’s reply
A draw would be the likeliest route to preserving England’s 1-0 lead, although Patel insists there is still time for the hosts to force their way back into the contest.
“We’ll try to find another way to get over the line,” Patel added. “That’s the beauty of the team that we have and the players that we have and the belief they have in how they want to play the game.
“There’s still three days of cricket left and there’s lots of cricket to go. On a fast-scoring ground, you never know what can happen.
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“We’ve got two of the greatest batters in the world at the crease at the moment. Hopefully they go back in, and really cash in on what could be a good day’s cricket for England.”
Brook survives as England wickets tumble
A flurry of quick wickets saw Duckett brilliantly held by Gill at third slip off Akash Deep, who then snapped up Pope first ball when KL Rahul caught him at the second attempt, while Crawley played waywardly at a Mohammed Siraj ball and was picked out by Karun Nair.
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India continued to dominate England by removing Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley to leave the hosts 23-3
Brook made a reckless start and had a final scare off the penultimate ball of a difficult day, threatening to drag Prasidh Krishna into his stumps and only surviving by intercepting the ball with his shoulder, although he will resume unbeaten on 30.
“There were a couple of very iffy shots,” former England captain Michael Atherton told Sky Sports.
“There was one in particular, where there were three slips in place, where you’ve just got to say to yourself that there’s no value in the shot that he’s trying to play – it’s a perfectly good ball and he’s basically trying to steer it down to third man.
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Michael Atherton analyses Harry Brook’s batting style on day two of England’s second Test against India
“I think a couple of the shots that Brook played there were just the shots of somebody who’d been in the field for 150 overs. Brook is a brilliant player, we know that. He’s got fantastic shots, but there were a couple of shots where the percentages were nowhere near in his favour.”
Watch day three of the second Test between England and India live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 10.15am Friday (11am first ball) or stream without a contract.
England vs India – results and schedule
All games at 11am UK and Ireland; all on Sky Sports
- First Test (Headingley) – England won by five wickets
- Second Test (Edgbaston): July 2-6
- Third Test (Lord’s): July 10-14
- Fourth Test (Emirates Old Trafford): July 23-27
- Fifth Test (The Kia Oval): July 31-August 4