Root-Brook hold fort at stumps, England 77/3

ENG vs IND Live Score, Day 2: England closed Day 2 at 77/3 with Joe Root and Harry Brook unbeaten on 18 and 30, respectively. Akash Deep delivered twin strikes in his second over to send Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope packing for duck. Mohd Siraj delivered another blow, dismissing Zak Crawley for 19. After starting the day on 310/5, Shubman Gill’s 269 helped India post 587 in the first innings. There were valuable contributions from Ravindra Jadeja (89) and Washington Sundar (42) as India piled up runs on a docile surface at the Edgbaston. On Day 1, Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 87.

ENG vs IND Live, Day 2

England vs India 2nd Test Day 2 Preview

After a commanding Day 1, India, at 310/5, will look to build on Shubman Gill’s gritty century and Ravindra Jadeja’s steady support to post a formidable first-innings total, ideally targeting 400-450 runs, as suggested by experts for a competitive score at Edgbaston. Gill, leading from the front, will aim to extend his innings, while Jadeja’s experience could prove vital against England’s pace attack, led by Chris Woakes, who took 2/59 on Day 1.

England, unchanged from their Headingley win, will bank on the new ball to dismiss India’s lower order, including all-rounders Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who add depth. The absence of Jasprit Bumrah weakens India’s bowling, putting pressure on Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna to deliver later.

England’s aggressive “Bazball” approach, successful in chasing 371 in the first Test, means India must maximise their lead to challenge England’s batting. The pitch, easing out on Day 2, favours batters, but early cloud cover could aid swing. With rain less likely than on Day 1, uninterrupted play should ensure a gripping contest as both teams vie for control.

Edgbaston Pitch Report Day 2

The Edgbaston pitch on Day 2 is expected to offer a balanced contest, with conditions improving for batting as the surface flattens out. On Day 1, the pitch, rated 3.1/10 by PitchViz (lower indicating easier batting), was the second-easiest Day 1 surface at Edgbaston since 2006, allowing India to reach 310/5. With 11mm of grass and a dry base, pacers found early swing and seam, but the pitch eased post-lunch, offering truer bounce.

On Day 2, batting conditions should further improve, enabling partnerships to flourish if India’s batsmen, like Gill and Jadeja, survive the new ball. Pacers, especially England’s Woakes and Brydon Carse, may still extract movement under cloudy skies, but spinners like Shoaib Bashir or India’s Jadeja and Sundar are unlikely to find much assistance until later. By Days 4-5, cracks and footmarks could bring spinners into play, but for now, a first-innings score of 340-350 remains the benchmark for competitiveness.

Playing 11s

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.

ENG vs IND Live Streaming

The India vs England 2nd Test will be broadcast live on Sony Sports Network in India, with English commentary on Sony Sports 1 HD/SD and Sony Sports 5 HD/SD, and Hindi commentary on Sony Sports 3 HD/SD. Live streaming is available for free on the JioHotstar app and website. The match starts at 3:30 PM IST, with the toss at 3:00 PM IST. In the UK, highlights are available on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer from 19:00 BST.

Birmingham Weather Report

Birmingham is expected to offer ideal cricket conditions with partly sunny skies and a mild breeze. Temperatures will range between 11°C and 20°C, with a high of 18-20°C during playing hours (11 AM to 6 PM local time). The forecast indicates no significant rain, with a low 20% chance of precipitation and 71% humidity, ensuring minimal interruptions.

Winds at 13 km/h should have little impact. These conditions favour batting, with the pitch likely to remain flat under sunshine, though early cloud cover could assist pacers briefly.