As India gear up to take on England in the second Test of the five-match series at Edgbaston starting July 2, the focus is firmly on what the Birmingham surface is likely to offer and whether history can be rewritten by the visitors at a venue where they’ve never won.Since hosting its first Test in 1902, Edgbaston has seen 56 Test matches. Over the last 10 Tests at Edgbaston, the average first-innings score has been 334. When India last played here, England successfully chased down a target of 378. Interestingly, teams chasing have emerged victorious in each of the last four Tests at the venue, suggesting that the pitch tends to favour batters as the match progresses. These numbers suggest a pitch that tends to flatten out early before deteriorating as the match progresses, with batting becoming more difficult in the latter half.
Overall stats at Edgbaston
- Matches Played: 56
- Time span: 1902 to 2024.
- Tied mathces: 0
- Runs per over (RPO): 3.03
- Batting average: 31.75
- Average 1st innings Score: 302
- Average 2nd innings Score: 315
- Average 3rd innings Score: 243
- Average 4th innings Score: 157
- Highest score: 710/7 (188.1 overs) England vs India (2011)
- Lowest score: Pakistan 72 vs England (2010)
Teams that bat first won on 29 occasions while those that bowled first only won 12 times, making it less than half. Of the eight Tests played between India and England at Edgbaston, India have lost seven and drawn one. Notably, even the celebrated Indian team of 2022 failed to break the hoodoo, losing by seven wickets despite setting a target of 378. England’s overall record at the venue stands at 30 wins from 56 games, underlining the fortress-like feel of Edgbaston for the hosts.Historically, Edgbaston has favoured seamers, especially early in the game, aided by the weather and traditional English swing. Since 2000, fast bowlers have claimed 490 wickets at Edgbaston at an average of 31 runs per wicket. While pace has clearly played a major role, spinners haven’t been too far off, having accounted for 153 wickets, averaging 34 per scalp, indicating that both pace and spin can be effective under the right conditions. As the pitch wears, spinners can come into play from Day 3 onwards, especially if it stays dry and the surface begins to take turn.Bowling since 2000
- Fast bowlers: 490 wickets at 31 average
- Spinners: 153 wickets at 34 average
Poll
Who do you think will win the second Test between India and England at Edgbaston?
With weather forecasts predicting possible rain interruptions and overcast spells early in the Test, expect seamers to dominate proceedings early, but the spin puzzle might need solving if the match heads into the later stages. England have one spinner in their playing XI in Shoaib Bashir, but India on the other hand will take to the pitch for the 2nd Test, as confirmed by Indian assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate.
