Edgbaston, Birmingham is under a cloud of uncertainty as rain has delayed the start of play on Day 5 of the second Test between India and England. India is in a commanding position, needing just seven wickets to secure a series-levelling victory, but the weather threatens to play spoilsport.
England started the day at 72/3, chasing a formidable target of 608 runs. Ollie Pope (24) and Harry Brook (15) are at the crease, facing the daunting task of surviving India's potent bowling attack while attempting to scale the imposing mountain of runs. The odds are heavily stacked against the home side, requiring something extraordinary to overhaul the target.
India's dominance in the Test has been largely due to the exceptional performance of captain Shubman Gill. He etched his name in Test cricket history with a record-breaking display of batting brilliance. Gill became the first player to score 250 and 150 in the same Test match. Following his colossal 269 in the first innings, Gill added 161 in the second to finish with 430 runs - the second-highest aggregate in a single Test after Graham Gooch's 456. His twin centuries have put India in a commanding position. Gill's performance defined the match and etched his name in cricket history.
Gill also became the seventh batter to score centuries in his first two Tests as captain. He surpassed Virat Kohli's unbeaten 254 vs South Africa in Pune (2019), marking the highest score by an Indian captain in Tests.
The IndianExpress.com reports that Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant made valuable contributions with half-centuries, which helped India reach 427 before declaring.
The Indian bowlers, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep, made early inroads into England's top order, further solidifying India's position. By the end of Day 4, England was struggling at 72/3. Akash Deep, in particular, impressed with his fiery spell, picking up two crucial wickets.
The Times of India reports that the UK Met Office had forecasted rain for Sunday, and the pitch and surrounding square were under covers. While the rain briefly stopped, dark clouds soon returned, and heavy rain started around 3 pm India time. There is a light drizzle lingering over Edgbaston, which is just enough to keep the covers on for now.
NDTV reports that play today can go on until 7:30 PM local time (12 AM IST). This means that even with the rain delay, there should be almost a full day's play in store for India to bowl out England. However, Boria Majumdar reports that rain is expected until 10:30 AM local time, after which there will be dark clouds for the majority of the day.
The task for India is simple: take seven wickets to level the five-match series at 1-1. However, the weather holds the key, and India will be hoping that the rain clears soon to allow them to complete the victory. If the first session gets washed out due to rain, it would mean that India won't have the usual 90 overs quota to have a crack at winning the match. A win would also mark Shubman Gill's first win as Indian Test captain.
