Akash Deep’s 10-wicket haul powers India to historic Test win against England at Edgbaston

Akash Deep took 10 wickets in a Test match for the first time as India thrashed England by 336 runs at Edgbaston on Sunday for a series-levelling win.

Deep was playing in the second Test of the five-match series after India rested outstanding quick Jasprit Bumrah.
The 28-year-old took 6-99 as England, set a mammoth 608 runs to win, were dismissed for 271 on the fifth day.
Deep's match figures of 10-147 were far and away the best of his eight-Test career.

Jamie Smith was the lone England batsman to pass fifty in the second innings, with an 88 that followed his brilliant 184 not out first time around.

A crushing victory gave India their maiden Test win in nine matches at Edgbaston, following seven defeats and a draw at the Birmingham ground.

Akash Deep celebrates after taking the wicket of England's Jamie Smith. Reuters

The game was also a personal triumph for India captain Shubman Gill who became the first batsman in Test cricket to post scores of 250 and 150 in the same match.

The 25-year-old's majestic 269 in the first innings was followed by a dashing 161 off 162 balls in the second.

Gill has scored three hundreds in his first two Tests as captain following his 147 during India's five-wicket loss in the series opener at Headingley, where his side dropped several catches.

India produced a much-improved fielding display at Edgbaston, as they outplayed England in all aspects.
"The way we came back with our bowling and fielding was tremendous," said player-of-the-match Gill at the presentation ceremony.

Akash Deep celebrates after taking the wicket of England's Brydon Carse to win the match. Reuters

Turning to Deep, he added: "He bowled with so much heart and skilfully with his lengths. He moved it in both directions, which was tough to do. He was magnificent for us."

The third Test at Lord's starts on Thursday with Gill confirming Bumrah will "definitely be back for Lord's".

 'Unbelievable Gill'

Deep and new-ball partner Siraj were more effective than England's quicks, with the hosts missing the express pace provided by the injury-prone duo of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood.

"I wouldn't say it's a concern," said England captain Ben Stokes. "We ran in, we tried everything, we changed plans, but when a team's on top of you — and India are a class team — it's hard to change the momentum.
"Shubman Gill had an unbelievable performance."

History was against England when they resumed at 72-3 after rain delayed Sunday's start by more than 90 minutes.
No Test side have made more in the fourth innings to win than the West Indies' 418 against Australia at St John's in 2003.

India struck an early blow when Ollie Pope failed to add his overnight 24, deflecting a Deep ball of extra bounce onto the stumps. The dismissal was greeted by raucous cheers from the massed ranks of India fans.

Pope's exit brought in Stokes, on a king pair after his first golden duck in Tests in the first innings.

Stokes, without a Test hundred in two years, avoided the embarrassment of two noughts in the same match with a legside flick.

England were soon 83-5, however, when Harry Brook was lbw for 23 to a Deep delivery that hit him on the back knee. Brook had made 158 in England's first innings while sharing a stand of over 300 with Smith.

Stokes and Smith briefly kept India at bay with a sixth-wicket partnership of 70. But in the last over before lunch Stokes was lbw for 33 to off-spinner Washington Sundar, the first India bowler other than Deep or Mohammed Siraj to take a wicket in the match. England were 153-6 at the interval.

Smith pulled Deep for two successive sixes to go to 88. But it was third time unlucky for the 24-year-old when he holed out off the next ball, a well-disguised slower delivery, to give Deep his fifth wicket of the innings.

Deep struck again when Brydon Carse skyed o cover where Gill, fittingly, held the match-clinching catch.

Agence France-Presse