'I hope India don't miss Kuldeep': Ex-India star's throws 'England win seeming very distant' verdict on 2nd Test after Gill's brigade piles up 587 on Day 2

India's legendary spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is just hoping Team India doesn't feel the absence of Kuldeep Yadav in the second Test against England at Edgbaston. In a post shared on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on July 3, Ashwin also stated that England's chances of securing a victory in the Edgbaston is seemingly very distant. This observation came after India's batsmen put in strong performances on the first two days of the ongoing Test match, putting the home team under pressure in the field. Riding on Shubman Gill's robust double century India posted a mammoth total of 587 on Day 2.

With loads of runs on the board and an England win seeming very distant: R Ashwin

Meanwhile, the decision by the Indian team management to exclude left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep from India's playing XI has drawn criticism from several former players and cricket analysts. This decision was particularly questioned given that the visitors had also opted to rest their premier fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, for this second Test match.

"With loads of runs on the board and an England win seeming very distant, I hope India don’t miss @imkuldeep18. Sincerely hope I am wrong," Ashwin wrote on X.

Kuldeep was omitted from the playing XI as the Indian team opted to strengthen their batting lineup by including Washington Sundar as the second spin-bowling option. This decision paid off as Sundar contributed with the bat, scoring a valuable 42 runs and forming a significant 144-run partnership for the seventh wicket with captain Shubman Gill.

Leading from the front, Shubman Gill played an exceptional innings, scoring a captain's knock of 269 runs off 387 deliveries. His performance was instrumental in helping India reach a commanding total of 587 runs before being bowled out in their first innings. Gill received excellent support from Ravindra Jadeja and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored 89 and 87 runs respectively.

While Karun Nair and Rishabh Pant made starts to their innings, they were unable to convert them into substantial scores, falling for 31 and 25 runs respectively. For England, Shoaib Bashir was the most successful bowler, taking 3 wickets for 167 runs in his 45 overs. Chris Woakes and Josh Tongue also contributed with the ball, each taking two wickets. This total of 587 runs marked India's highest team score at the Edgbaston venue. The responsibility now falls on the Indian bowlers to perform well and try to secure a victory in this Test, aiming to level the series at 1-1.