Former cricketers Dinesh Karthik and Mike Atherton heaped praise on India following their impressive win in the second Test of the ongoing five-match series against England at Edgbaston. While Karthik spoke on the joy of winning a five-day Test, Atherton focused on the psychological edge India gained by sealing the game without their premier fast-bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested.
India pulled off a memorable win in Edgbaston and levelled the series 1-1. After losing the opening Test at Headingley, the visitors bounced back strongly with both bat and ball. Their captain Shubman Gill registered the scores of 269 and 161 across the two innings. India dominated the better part of the match and set England a target of 608 runs.
Amid the scrutiny, the bowling unit, despite being without Jasprit Bumrah, stepped up and dismantled England. Mohammed Siraj took six wickets in the first innings, while Akash Deep ended up with six scalps in the second as India won the match by 336 runs. This is now their biggest away Test win by margin of runs.
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Dinesh Karthik and Mike Atherton Praise India After Edgbaston Win
Speaking on Sky Sports, Karthik emphasised the special satisfaction that comes with winning a Test match after a full five-day grind.
"That's quite the performance. Look, we speak a lot about white-ball cricket, but you ask any cricketer who's played the longer format - the satisfaction that you get when you fight for five days and end with a win, there's not many better feelings in this sport," Karthik said as quoted on SKY Sports.
Atherton, too, acknowledged the magnitude of India's feat, especially considering they did it without their strike bowler, Bumrah. He added that while India were clearly the better team, England had no excuse for failing to bat through the day on a good pitch. He felt England should have done better with the bat.
"Doing it without Jasprit Bumrah is a huge psychological statement. I think it's disappointing that England couldn't bat out a day's worth of cricket on a good pitch. India were fantastic, but England should have made a better fist of it," Atherton opined.
India Head to Lord’s With Confidence
This win has given India a lot of belief going into the third Test at Lord’s, starting July 10.
England, on the other hand, will need to bounce back quickly. The series is level at 1-1 and the next match will be crucial. India will take a lot of positives from this performance and will walk into Lord’s with their heads high.
Also read: ENG vs IND: “We Missed Our Moments” - Ben Stokes Left Frustrated as India Level Series at Edgbaston
