ENG vs IND 2025: How Edgbaston’s average Innings scores and other trends will shape the Second Test.
The second Test in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy is set to get underway at the Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham from July 2. The ground is considered as a fortress for the English, having won 30 of the 56 Tests they have played at the venue and losing just 11.
India, on the other hand have an abysmal record at this venue as they are yet to win a single Test having played 8 and drawn one. However, all is not lost for India, despite their track record here and the fact that they are coming into this game under a lot pressure.
The reason is the pitch. From being a livelier pitch with a lot of pace and carry for the pacers, the Edgbaston has considerably slowed down over the last five years or so. From what the experts have said about the current pitch conditions, there is still true but consistent bounce and carry. This means ball with come on to the bat nicely.
Average innings scores at Edgbaston
Overall:
Since Jan 2019:
If we take a look at this analysis, the average scores across all four innings have been higher in the last five Test matches when in comparison with overall figures. For instance, the average first innings total at Edgbaston in the 16 Tests played between 2000 and 2018 is 299.56, while the second innings average increases to 366.25 in the same period. This shows how the bowlers enjoyed a much livelier surface in the first innings.
The ground statistics suggest the team batting second has won more games (23) than the teams’ batting first (18). Also, the last four games were won by the teams chasing down the target. From all this, one thing is clear is that the bounce and pace of the pitch is likely to remain more consistent than the yesteryears.
Coming to India’s chances, if they could put behind a forgettable outing at Leeds with the ball and make use of the more helpful conditions, then we could have a match on our hands. The last time India played here, England chased a record fourth innings total of 378 at this venue and India need to wary of that as well.
Read More: Why Edgbaston is England’s fortress in Tests: A look at the ground stats
So which bowler has been successful here since Jan 2015
Upon looking the table, the bowlers who have high release points or one who gets swing out of the surface has been successful in the recent past. Players like Broad and Anderson are relatively taller and they got good purchase out of this wicket.
In the current England squad, a player like Jofra Archer or Gus Atkinson or even Brydon who are much taller than the India counterparts might enjoy the conditions more. A supporting this argument is India’s tallest pacer, Ishant Sharma has the most wickets here (6 at 16.16) among the touring party. Another interesting insight here is spinners like Nathan Lyon and Ravi Ashwin (7 wickets at 17.28) have also found considerable success here.
So, there are couple of suggestions which could give here are, India should try to employ tall pacers in the second Test at Edgbaston. A bowler like Arshdeep Singh could be a real handful as is Prasidh Krishna whose height release could work in his favor based on the stats provided. Also, a specialist could be an useful option for India in these conditions, based on the historical data.
Read More: Jofra Archer’s inclusion in England squad rings warning bells for India
