England's Top Order Struggles Against Indian Bowlers in Second Test

England's Early Collapse at Edgbaston

Birmingham [UK], July 3: Former cricketers Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton criticized England's batting lineup for their dismal performance against Indian pacers Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj during the final session of Day 2 in the second Test at Edgbaston.

In a devastating spell, Akash and Siraj made significant breakthroughs in the last hour of the third session. Akash struck first, forcing Ben Duckett to edge a delivery to captain Shubman Gill at third slip, resulting in Duckett's dismissal for a five-ball duck.

Next, Ollie Pope fell victim to a golden duck, misplaying a flick that led to a thick edge caught by KL Rahul at second slip, who initially fumbled but secured the catch on the second attempt. With the momentum shifting, Siraj then dismissed Zak Crawley (19) by enticing him into a loose shot that was caught by Karun Nair at first slip.

Hussain expressed his confusion over the top three batsmen's approach on a flat Edgbaston pitch, noting the slight swing in the ball. He stated on Sky Sports, “As an England top-order batter, you should be able to cope with this. The pitch is flat, and the ball is just swinging a bit. There’s no need to waft outside the off stump. Back your defence as well!”

With England struggling at 25/3 in response to India's formidable total of 587, Harry Brook and Joe Root worked together to stabilize the innings. While Root displayed confidence, Brook's aggressive style nearly led to his downfall as he attempted to place the ball between the slips but was nearly caught off Akash's bowling.

Atherton was critical of Brook's approach, stating, “Brook has got to get his batting head on here. He was trying to run that down [towards third man] with two slips in place. Ridiculous.”

By the end of the day, Brook and Root remained unbeaten on 30 and 18, respectively, as England concluded Day 2 at 77/3, still trailing by 510 runs.