
India have played 8 Test matches in Edgbaston and haven’t won a single one of them.
Unlike the Headingley pitch, the surface in Edgbaston has some grass on it. The visuals on the eve of the India vs England 2nd Test suggest that Birmingham might be a bit more lively than Leeds. Even a little grass could mean that fast bowlers are in more, especially for the first couple of days.
India’s issue with the lifeless Headingley surface
This wasn’t the case in Headingley, where Team India scored 359 on the first day with just 3 wickets falling. As the game went on, the pitch aided bowlers more. That didn’t really happen. Spinners had some help, but for the most part, it was easy for batters throughout the match.
Ideally, this should make the Indian camp happier. Their bowlers, even Jasprit Bumrah, struggled to take wickets at various times due to the nature of the pitch. Of course, the longer you bowl, the chances of injury also increase. And for someone like Bumrah, bowling fewer overs means that he might be able to play four matches instead of three.
Edgbaston pitch on eve of 2nd Test
But getting optimistic now might be jumping the gun. Even for the Headingley Test, we saw the surface had grass on it. But on the match, it was shaved. Yesterday, the Edgbaston pitch had a bit of grass. A day later, it has decreased. It won’t be shocking if it’s all gone by tomorrow.
By now, everyone knows what sort of tracks England wants to play. They don’t have much seam movement. A track with adequate bounce, which aids batters, is their desire. The lesser the wear and tear, the better for them. The Headingley pitch didn’t deteriorate and that’s exactly why they chased 371 down.
It’s a successful blueprint from them. It makes no sense to deviate from it now. Team India won’t be excited to see some grass now, but if it’s still there tomorrow, perhaps they can make the most of it.
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