The start of the Day 5 of second Test match between India and England at Edgbaston has been delayed due to persistent rain in Birmingham. India enter the final day needing seven wickets to secure a win, while England faces a daunting challenge, requiring an unlikely 536 more runs to win. By the end of Day 4's play England were placed at a precarious position of 72/3.
India were hoping for a full allocation of 90 overs to bowl on this crucial final day but overs started reducing from 4:30 PM IST (12 PM Local Time). Despite rain has currently stopped in Birmingham, there won't be a full 90 overs match. After umpires' inspection, it has revealed that the match will now be a 80-over contest on Day 5.
Meanwhile, after a brief delay the match will now start from 5:10 PM (IST)
Here's the revised session timings for Day 5:
First session: 5:10PM - 7:00 PM
Second Session: 7:40 PM - 9:40 PM
Third session: 10PM - 11:30 PM
80 Overs
Talking about the Day 4's action, India's decision to delay their declaration and set a target exceeding 600 runs meant they were only able to bowl 16 overs. Although they managed to take three wickets, some might argue that an earlier declaration could have provided them with more time to push for victory, especially considering the unfavorable weather forecast for the final day.
Despite this, India has largely dominated the Test match. They have consistently outperformed England across all facets of the game and will be eagerly awaiting an improvement in the weather conditions in Birmingham to capitalize on their advantage.