India has squared the Test series against England in Birmingham, marking their first-ever Test win at Edgbaston. This historic victory, a commanding 336-run triumph, levels the series at 1-1, setting the stage for an exciting third Test at Lord's. The win is India's biggest-ever victory by runs in an away Test match.
Shubman Gill, the young captain, has received high praise for his leadership and record-breaking performance. Gill led from the front, registering his first Test win as captain while also being the top run-scorer of the match. His scores of 269 and 161 in the match powered India to an unbeatable position. Aged 25 years and 301 days, Gill also became the youngest Indian captain to win a Test overseas.
Gill's 269 in the second Test was not just a career-best, but also a statistical spectacle that broke long-standing Indian records in overseas Tests. In only his second Test as captain, Gill surpassed legends such as Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, and Sunil Gavaskar, achieving numerous milestones in one extraordinary knock. His 269 is now the highest score by an Indian Test captain, surpassing Kohli's unbeaten 254 against South Africa in 2019. It is only the second double century by an Indian captain in an overseas Test, after Kohli's 200 in Antigua in 2016. In England, Gill's effort is now the highest score by an Indian batter, bettering Gavaskar's 221 at The Oval in 1979 and Dravid's 217 in 2002. His 269 also tops Sachin Tendulkar's 241* at Sydney in 2004 as the highest Test score by an Indian outside Asia.
The victory at Edgbaston breaks a 58-year-old jinx for India and proves they can win anywhere, even without key players like Jasprit Bumrah. In Bumrah's absence, Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj rose to the occasion, displaying magnificent bowling. Akash Deep, Bumrah's replacement in the XI, earned his maiden Test five-for (six for 99) and finished with career-best match figures of (10 for 187).
The match also saw other significant contributions from the Indian team. Ravindra Jadeja became the first-ever player to score 2,000 runs and take 100 wickets in WTC history. Rishabh Pant scored his 3,000th run in Tests, becoming the leading Asian wicketkeeper in SENA countries and the Indian wicketkeeper with the most Test centuries (7), surpassing MS Dhoni, and the most sixes (62) by an Indian in the WTC, surpassing Rohit Sharma.
The series is now beautifully poised, with the third Test at Lord's on July 10, 2025. With Jasprit Bumrah confirmed to return for India and Jofra Archer possibly returning for England, the upcoming matches promise to be thrilling.
