India levelled the five-match series against England at 1-1 after winning by a massive 336-run margin in the second Test at Edgbaston. It was a sensational all-round performance from the Men in Blue who after setting up a mammoth target of 608, bundled out the hosts for just 271 on Day 5 to script a fantastic victory. This win was also India's biggest away win in terms of runs.
Panesar feels that the victory at Edgbaston will boost Indian team's morale
Former England cricketer Monty Panesar believes that this victory will act as a major confidence booster for Shubman Gill & Co. He further remarked that India showcased that they aren't afraid of England's 'Bazball' approach with the emphatic win in Birmingham.
"India will gain a lot of confidence from this. It shows they're not afraid of England's Bazball approach. There's a great deal of excitement and belief in the team. Shubman Gill has shown exceptional leadership; also, he has batted really well," Panesar told IANS.
Meanwhile, India captain Shubman Gill was the star of the show for the team in the second Test due to his incredible batting performances in both the innings. The 25-year-old played a magnificent knock of 269 in the first inning and followed that up by another superb knock of 161 on the second occasion. He was even adjudged as the Player of the Match for his stunning batting displays. Notably, this was also Gill's first victory as India's Test captain and it couldn't have come in more memorable fashion.
Akash Deep was also among the top performers for the Men in Blue at Edgbaston. The pacer picked a total of 10 wickets in the match, finishing with figures of 4/88 in the first innings and 6/99 in the second. The 28-year-old produced the best figures of his Test career in the second innings and is now almost certain to feature in the third Test of the series which is set to be contested at Lord's from July 10. He was supported well by Mohammed Siraj, who picked up a total of seven scalps in the match. These performances showed that the Men in Blue's bowling attack is quite prolific even without the services of Jasprit Bumrah.
Akash Deep also became only the second Indian bowler after Chetan Sharma to pick up a 10-wicket-haul in a Test match on English soil. Notably, the latter had recorded figures of 10/188 in a Test against England that was also coincidentally held at Edgbaston way back in 1986.
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