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Not Only Match But Legacy: Virat Kohli's Aggression Proved Costly For Jasprit Bumrah

Probuddha Bhattacharjee

Virat Kohli and Jonny Bairstow [Source: @indiantweetrian/x.com]Virat Kohli and Jonny Bairstow [Source: @indiantweetrian/x.com]

After a humiliating defeat against England in the first Test at Headingley, India will be looking to turn the tables around in the second match. Interestingly, the visitors don't have great memories of the venue where the action of the series shifts now.

Starting from July 2, India and England will play each other at Edgbaston in Birmingham. So far, the Asian giants have never won a single Test at this venue. In the history of India vs England Test cricket, the two nations have played eight games here, with the home team generally showing dominance, winning seven of the eight matches, while one has ended in a draw.

As we gear up for the upcoming match, let's look at what happened when India and England last faced each other in a Test match at Birmingham.

Jasprit Bumrah, The Skipper

Notably, this was the last test of the 2021 series, which was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 season. Virat Kohli, who was the skipper of the Indian team during the 2021 leg of the series, has stepped down from the role. The designated Test captain of the Indian team, Rohit Sharma, was unavailable for the match, and hence, Jasprit Bumrah ended up playing his first match as India's Test captain. 

Pant-Jadeja Heroics Put India Ahead After The First Innings

India batted first in this game and were struggling at 64/3 when Rishabh Pant walked out into the middle. The Southpaw started playing an aggressive brand of cricket. However, India lost a couple of more wickets and were left stranded at 98/5.

This is when Ravindra Jadeja joined Rishabh Pant in the middle, and the duo stitched together a momentum-changing partnership. The duo stuck together for 222 runs, and when they got separated, India had 320 runs on the board. 

Rishabh Pant played a magnificent knock of 146 runs from 111 deliveries. Ravindra Jadeja also scored a century, scoring 104 runs off 194 deliveries.

Jasprit Bumrah smashed 33 runs in an over in the game [Source: @ImTanujSingh/x.com]Jasprit Bumrah smashed 33 runs in an over in the game [Source: @ImTanujSingh/x.com]

The India tail also put up a good fight, with Jasprit Bumrah leading the way. The Indian pacer created the record of scoring the most runs in a single over in Test cricket, off Stuart Broad's bowling. Ultimately, India got bundled out for 416 runs. 

Bairstow Stands Tall, But England Crumble

The Indian pace unit put off their hands and ran rampant through the English batting line-up. Mohammad Siraj starred with the ball, finishing the innings with a spell of 11.3 overs, during which he conceded 66 runs but picked up four wickets. 

The brilliant show by the Indian pacers meant that England were bundled out for 284 runs. The only innings of substance was played by Jonny Bairstow, who scored 106 runs 0ff 140 deliveries. 

Ben Stokes Delivers With The Ball In The Second Innings

India started their second innings with a lead of 132 runs and were in the driver's seat. However, the English captain, Ben Stokes, came to the party with the ball and picked up four wickets. Stokes' effort ensured that India's lead did not extend beyond the 400 mark.

The highest run scorer for India in this innings was Cheteshwar Pujara, with 66 runs. Rishabh Pant scored a half-century in this innings (57 off 86). England managed to bundle out India for 245 runs. The target for the home team in the final innings of the game was 378 runs, and visitors were feeling confident of sealing the series with a win. 

Kohli Awakes The Beast In Bairstow

Virat Kohli sledging Jonny Bairstow [Source: @indiantweetrian/x.com]Virat Kohli sledging Jonny Bairstow [Source: @indiantweetrian/x.com]

Zak Crawley and Alex Lees gave a good start to England as they stitched together a partnership of 107 runs for the opening stand. It looked like England were running away with the match. But India made a dramatic comeback at this stage. They picked up three quick wickets and put England on the back foot once again.

The fall of the three wickets brought together Joe Root and the centurion of the first innings, Jonny Bairstow. While Joe Root was looking steady as usual, Bairstow was struggling to get settled in the middle. 

Virat Kohli, as aggressive as he is, decided to take the fight to Bairstow. He started staring him down and exchanged a few words with him. This ignited the fire in the English batter, and he started an assault on the Indian bowlers. While Root went steadily about his business, Baristow tore down the Indian attack. The duo ensured that their team chased down the formidable target, suffering no further loss.

Conclusion

It was a disastrous defeat for India when they last played at Edgbaston. From a position of strength, the bowling department's lack of potency in bowling led to a dramatic defeat. Shubman Gill and his men will be looking to take revenge for that game and also break the Birmingham jinx for India. However, only time will tell how successfully they pass the test.