England were thrashed by 336 runs in the second Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test at Edgbaston.
After the game, captain Ben Stokes said the pitch suited India as the game went on but the fans were asking the real questions. Was it really the pitch or did England just get outplayed?
England had India in trouble at 200-5 in the first innings. They had them on the ropes. But instead of finishing the job, they let India get away.
India’s batters made it count and ended up with a 180-run lead. In response, England collapsed to 80-5 and the game was over from there.
Even with Jamie Smith’s 184* and 88, the damage was done. The rest of the team didn’t back it up.
Stokes dodged the question about bowling first. He said the pitch changed and helped India more than England. But was that the real issue?
He also said the bowlers “tried everything” and praised Shubman Gill for his match-winning knock.
But clearly something wasn’t working for England. Their bowling was flat. There was no pressure on India once they settled in.
This wasn’t just a loss, it was a full-on takeover by India. They didn’t give England a chance to get back in.
Every time England looked like they might fight back, India pushed them back again. Gill led from the front and the bowlers kept the pressure on. England had no plans, missed chances and looked clueless.
The third Test is at Lord’s on July 10. Stokes said they’ll “reassess everything” and they better. This wasn’t just about one decision or one bad session.
India dominated every part of the game. If England don’t sort things out quickly, the series could slip away. Because the truth is, it wasn’t the pitch. It was the pressure. And India applied it in every session.
