Brendon McCullum did not hide behind excuses after England’s 336-run loss to India in the second Test at Edgbaston, admitting, “We ran second for five days.” By inserting India on what was expected to quicken and flatten out, England instead found themselves chasing the game almost from the first session.
“We didn’t expect that the wicket would play quite as it did,” the head coach said. “I think, as the game unfolded, we probably looked back on that toss and said did we miss an opportunity there and it’s probably fair.”
India’s first-innings 587 set the tone. England did reduce the visitors to 200 for 5, but a counter-attacking 269 from Shubman Gill and brisk lower-order runs meant Ben Stokes’s side were immediately under pressure. England’s reply lurched at 121 for 6 before Jamie Smith’s unbeaten 184 and Harry Brook’s 158 trimmed the arrears to 180. Gill then added 161 in India’s second dig, setting a daunting 608. Akash Deep, exploiting widening cracks and variable bounce, returned 6 for 99 to finish things off inside the final hour of day five.
“We’re not rigid with our plans,” McCullum insisted. “It’s just we thought this pitch might get better to bat on as we went through the five days but as we saw it didn’t.”
Headingley the previous week had strengthened England’s belief that firmer, less deteriorating surfaces suit their up-tempo style. As Stokes put it before the match, requests had gone in for pitches that “suit what we we want to go for and how we want to play our cricket”. The hot, dry lead-up in Birmingham, however, tightened the surface and left more moisture beneath. Instead of sliding on, the ball gripped, seams opened and the bounce became unpredictable—a strip, McCullum conceded, that by day five felt “akin to those in India”.
Former fast bowler Steve Harmison, commentating on radio, worried about top-order returns: “You can’t keep asking your middle order to dig you out every time,” he said during England’s fourth-innings collapse. Those concerns resurfaced as Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope and Joe Root managed 47 runs between them across two innings.
McCullum pointed to missed opportunities rather than personnel changes. “We did have them 200 for 5 and we weren’t able to capitalise on that position,” he noted. “When you win the toss and bowl you’re not anticipating the opposition’s going to score 580.”
Akash Deep’s spell on the final afternoon drew particular praise. “I thought Akash Deep bowled outstandingly on that surface,” McCullum said. “Obviously growing up playing on those types of wickets, he hit his length and was able to utilise the surface where he could. He was exceptional.”
England now move to Lord’s for Thursday’s third Test with the series level at 1-1 and Jasprit Bumrah expected to return for India. While the home attack will welcome a greener Lord’s slope, batting remains the primary concern: England have posted one fifty opening stand in six attempts this summer, and Root’s highest score of the series so far is 41.
There is no immediate talk of dropping anyone, though Dan Lawrence has been added to the squad as cover. McCullum was reluctant to dwell on prospective changes: “It was only a brilliant partnership from Jamie Smith and Harry Brook which gave us any balance in the game throughout the five days. That’s something we’ve got to look at.”
Balanced against that blunt assessment is McCullum’s belief in the group’s resilience. England overturned a 1-0 deficit to beat Pakistan last winter and retrieved a draw against Australia after being 2-0 down last summer. “We’ve shown we can bounce back,” he reminded reporters, “but we’ve got to be smarter. It’s about learning quickly, not ripping everything up.”
Analysis in the dressing-room focused on lengths with the new ball—Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson both admitted they persisted too full early on—and tighter shot selection once the surface began misbehaving. The staff reckon Lord’s, with its traditional grass coverage and cooler forecast, should reward their preferred fuller lengths while still offering more consistent bounce for batting.
For India, Gill’s return to form and Akash Deep’s emergence provide selection headaches of the pleasant variety. Captain Rohit Sharma confirmed Bumrah will play, but would not be drawn on the make-up of the attack. “We’ll look at conditions,” he said, “and pick the best side for the surface.”
If the pitch suits, England’s approach will remain aggressive. Whether the toss call is as straightforward is another matter. McCullum smiled when asked who would call this time. “We’ll see. Hopefully we’re a touch wiser after Birmingham.”
The scoreboard may say India were dominant, yet the gap felt narrower to those inside the England camp. McCullum’s task is turning that belief into results—starting with getting the toss, and the reading of the pitch, exactly right next week.
