By Shyam A. Krishna
Will India win the Edgbaston Test? India should. The 608-run target is a record even in first-class cricket. England may have knocked off 72 runs, but they’ve already lost three wickets — the dismissals of Ben Duckett and Joe Root were pivotal, as both have played key roles in England’s recent successful chases.None of those past targets, however, were as monumental as the one in the second Test of the Tendulkar-Anderson series. The England team, led by Ben Stokes and coached by Brendon McCullum, might still fancy a shot at the remaining 536 runs. They have the belief — and Harry Brook, a first-innings centurion, is still at the crease, with another centurion, Jamie Smith, yet to come..Shubman Gill receives special message from Virat Kohli for his heroics at Edgbaston. Ollie Pope, who scored a hundred in the first Test at Headingley, didn’t look too convincing during his stay on Saturday. But India wouldn’t want to let him settle down — his presence could embolden England’s intent.Early wickets on Sunday would choke England’s hopes. That’s a no-brainer. Akash Deep has been so impressive that India has barely felt the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. His delivery to dismiss Joe Root was world-class. Mohammed Siraj has bowled well too, but he needs to avoid leaking runs that could release the pressure on England..India’s spin dilemmaPrasidh Krishna continues to be unimpressive. The same goes for Washington Sundar, who won’t win you a match with the ball. But you can’t blame captain Shubman Gill for his inclusion — Sundar’s batting helped India post 587 in the first innings, a total that gave them the lead and upper hand.The pitch hasn’t offered any real turn, so neither Sundar nor Ravindra Jadeja is likely to trouble the England batters. That’s where Kuldeep Yadav’s left-arm wrist spin — with his flight and guile — could have made a difference. His absence is unfortunate; he might have tilted the scales in India’s favour.So it will be up to Akash Deep and Siraj to take the bulk of the wickets, with the rest playing supporting roles. If Jadeja can keep things tight from one end, India can attack from the other using their two main pacers..143 in 79 balls: Vaibhav Suryavanshi smashes fastest century in men’s Youth ODI history. The Duke ball should retain shine for some more time — more than enough for India’s fast bowlers to snatch a couple of wickets in the first session and crush any lingering hopes of an English miracle. That would make an Indian victory all but certain.Did the declaration come too late? Maybe. But it’s understandable — Gill and coach Gautam Gambhir were clearly wary of England’s Bazball approach and didn’t want to take any chances, especially on a pitch offering little to the bowlers. They didn’t want to go 2-0 down heading into the Lord’s Test.Yes, it was a defensive call. No doubt. But Gill is a new captain with a young team, and he can be forgiven for playing it safe. Besides, the team has already picked up three wickets, somewhat vindicating the delayed declaration. If the match ends in a draw, the timing of that call will be scrutinised.Still, this is all part of the learning curve. Gill will grow more confident and take bolder decisions with time. Be patient. He will become Captain Courageous..Shubman Gill’s glorious start: Double century, records tumble, legacy continues.Sourav Ganguly hails Shubman Gill’s knock as ‘best innings in England’.Why Shubman Gill’s India captaincy talks draw comparisons to MS Dhoni.Never dreamt of being India’s Test captain, Shubman Gill says