India crushed England by 336 runs in the second Test at Edgbaston, leveling the series 1-1. From the beginning, India took full control. Their batters scored heavily, and their bowlers kept the pressure on.
England, on the other hand, failed to match India’s intensity. They struggled across all five days. As a result, they were never in the game and eventually collapsed under pressure.
Stokes says pitch favoured Indian bowlers
After the match, England captain Ben Stokes spoke about the pitch conditions. According to him, the surface changed dramatically as the game progressed.
“To be honest, it's probably ended up being more of a subcontinent pitch as it's got deeper and deeper into the game,” Stokes told BBC Test Match Special.
“There’s certainly a little bit in it to start off with, and I think we exposed that very, very well early on,” he added. “But yeah, then just as it sort of got deeper and deeper, it just, yeah, it became a real tough slog for us and obviously, with the Indian attack and the conditions that they were used to and used some of how to expose those conditions, just sort of a little bit better than that can happen sometimes.”
Fans hit back on social media
However, many fans disagreed with Stokes’ explanation. They felt he should have accepted the defeat rather than blame the pitch.
Lol. Typical Stokes. Amongst the biggest crybabies in sport.
— Pravir Singh (@Pravir21) July 6, 2025
If it was a subcontinent pitch, Jadeja would have run through way earlier.
And stop asking them to make awful flat pitches and that'll be the end of your so called "Bazball".#ENGvIND https://t.co/01H7AnsMB5
Some even called him a “crybaby” on X, saying the comment sounded like an excuse for England’s poor performance.
Stokes can't bat vs spin to save his life anywhere in the world so he blames pitches even in his beloved fortress Edgbaston calling them subcontinental. The mental gymnastics of this guy... https://t.co/3d21BWy3i4
— Zainub Razvi (@zainubrazvi) July 7, 2025
Akash Deep and Siraj lead India’s bowling charge
Meanwhile, India’s bowling unit stepped up impressively. With Jasprit Bumrah rested, Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj led the attack. Siraj bowled brilliantly in the first innings. He took 6 wickets for 70 runs, which helped India gain the upper hand early.
Later, Akash Deep took charge in the second innings. He claimed 6 wickets for 99 runs. His match figures of 10 for 187 are now the best by an Indian bowler in a Test match in England. He dismissed important batters like Joe Root and Jamie Smith on the final day, sealing India’s historic win at Edgbaston.
Jamie Smith shines in defeat
Despite the loss, Jamie Smith stood out for England. He followed up his unbeaten 184 in the first innings with a fighting 88 in the second. Unfortunately, no other batter supported him, and wickets fell around him at regular intervals.
Stokes admits India were better
Although Stokes mentioned the pitch, he did praise India’s performance. “But it's nothing to be too disheartened about. We can take being outskilled, and we've certainly been outskilled this week,” he said.