England captain Ben Stokes admitted that a missed opportunity with the ball in the first innings proved costly in their defeat to India in the second Test of the five-match series at Edgbaston. He also acknowledged the high-quality batting performance from India, especially Shubman Gill, who scored a double-century and a hundred.
After taking a 1-0 lead in the series with a convincing win at Headingley, England came into the Edgbaston Test with confidence. They had India at 211/5 on the opening day. However, their inability to break through the lower-order allowed India to post a massive first-innings total of 587 runs. England’s batting crumbled under pressure as they were reduced to 84/5, and despite a 303-run partnership between Harry Brook and Jamie Smith, they never fully recovered.
India took charge of the game from there. Their batters, especially Gill, kept England’s bowlers on the field for long stretches. The right-hander continued his purple patch with scores of 269 and 161, grinding down the hosts and putting India in a commanding position throughout the game. Eventually, England suffered a 336-run defeat.
Also read: IND vs ENG: 'The game loses its essence without help for bowlers' - Gill's take on flat pitches
Missed Chances Haunt Ben Stokes as India Create History at Edgbaston
Speaking after the match, Ben Stokes explained where he thought things went wrong. He said England were in a strong position with the ball on Day 1 but let it slip.
"I think there were two moments in the game. Having them 200 for five and then not quite being able to blast them open, like we know that we can. They ended up getting a big first innings total, obviously after us having a good start, having them five down for not too many on the board. Then, being 80 for five in reply to the first innings, it's obviously going to be tough to get back into a position where you [can] look to push on and be on the winning side, at the end of the game," Stokes said as quoted to the media after the match.
He also stressed on the importance of taking 20 wickets to win matches and praised India’s batting.
"You can't win a game if you don't take 20 wickets. You do have to appreciate how well India played with the bat. Obviously, pretty favourable conditions if someone got in, two of our lads [Harry Brook and Jamie Smith] showed that this week. If you get in, it is very hard to get someone out. India is full of world class players. Shubman [Gill] has had another unbelievable week with the bat. Skill against skill, it is always tough," he added.
Despite the defeat, Stokes backed his pace attack and praised their commitment. England bowled around 234 overs in the match.
"Yeah, absolutely good as gold. I think the efforts that we all put in as a bowling unit there, especially the big quicks, was you throw the ball [to them] in any situation and they keep charging in, running in, but it's no secret that we have spent some time in the field and bowled some overs in the first two games and we'll have to see how everyone pulls up over the next two days."
Stokes also spoke about the fitness of his bowlers. After spending long periods in the field over the first two Tests, he hinted that there might be changes in the bowling attack for the third Test.
"With it being a quick turnaround there probably will be a decision we have to make given how everyone does pull up after this game. We will have one or two days to get the bodies right and recover and all of sudden we will be out there flipping the coin," Stokes stated.
Stokes lauded Gill for his record-breaking performance at Edgbaston that saw him scoring a total of 430 runs across the two innings.
"He's had some two games, hasn't he? These two innings he played here especially in that first innings, you've got to give your opposition credit when it's due, and for him to bang out as many runs as he has done in this game it's pretty special for him."
He shared that England tried to target Gill’s stumps early but the in-form batter managed to survive that plan.
"Early on we've got plans on attacking the stumps and trying to bring in the LBW. there's been a couple of times early on where he's just mostly got a little inside nick on those are the kind of things that happens when a player is in form," Stokes said.
What England Need to Do at Lord's?
With the series now level at 1-1, the third Test at Lord’s, starting July 10, becomes crucial. For England to bounce back, their bowlers will need to find a way to pick 20 wickets. In both Tests so far, they have not been at their best.
With the bat, England will need their top-order to show more discipline. Players like Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope will have to step up alongside Joe Root, who has not quite fired in the series so far.
Also read: Updated ICC WTC 2025-27 Points Table After India's Win Over England At Edgbaston
