IND vs ENG: After Leeds Setback, Shubman Gill Sets His Sights On Redemption In Second Test As India Face Long-standing Edgbaston Curse

India didn't have the desired start under Shubman Gill's captaincy in England. Despite five centuries by Indian batters and Jasprit Bumrah's five-wicket haul, Ben Stokes and Co. handed a five-wicket defeat to the visitors.

Shubman Gill's India Aim To Chase Edgbaston Curse

India failed to secure a place in the final of the World Test Championship for the first time in the history of the tournament, and the onus will be on Shubman Gill to bridge the gap under his leadership. But the 25-year-old needs to navigate the Edgbaston challenge as India are aiming to break a 58-year-old curse. Team India is yet to lodge a win at Edgbaston since 1967. A total of eight matches have been played in Birmingham and India have lost seven, drawing only one match in the proceedings.

Also Read: IND vs ENG: Sunil Gavaskar Wants Kuldeep Yadav to Play Ahead of Shardul Thakur in Second Test at Birmingham

India's Poor Batting Record Highlighted At Edgbaston

In the first Test, KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant shouldered the batting responsibility, but Edgbaston hasn't been a happy hunting ground for Team India. India's batting failures have been pretty prominent at this venue, which is known for its high-scoring matches. Incidentally, England's highest score of 711 came against England in 2011 when Alastair Cook smashed a sensational 294 alongside a century from Eoin Morgan. The likes of Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair need to step up as India need to come with all guns blazing. Moreover, India managed to get past the 300 barrier only once, with their lower score being a paltry 92.

Kuldeep Yadav missed out on a place in the first Test. But calls have been made to include the left-arm spinner in the second Test, Edgbaston does offer something for the spinners and given Yadav's proficiency, he could emerge as an x-factor for Shubman Gill. Ravindra Jadeja didn't have a good outing with both bat and ball and the number-one all-rounder faced criticism for his performance in Leeds. The Headingley match was the first match following the retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and India's performance in Leeds is bound to raise concern over the future of their Test credentials.

Also Read: With or Sans Jasprit Bumrah; Gautam Gambhir-Shubman Gill Need to Back Arshdeep Singh at Birmingham