Breaking the Edgbaston Curse: Can Team India Finally Win at Birmingham in the 2nd ENG vs IND 2025 Test?

The first Test of the 2025 ENG vs IND 5-match Test series was comfortably won by the hosts, England, by 5 wickets at Headingley in Leeds. Team India wasn’t completely outfoxed in the first Test, but couldn’t grab those crucial moments, which ultimately cost them the game. As the focus now shifts to the second Test, all eyes turn to Edgbaston, a venue that has historically been a graveyard for Indian Test ambitions.

After going down in the first Test, the young Indian team, led by Shubman Gill, will be looking to bounce back in adverse conditions. Edgbaston is the venue for the second ENG vs IND Test match, a venue that hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for Team India. At the same time, it’s an opportunity for the young to exorcise decades of demons and rewrite a painful chapter in Indian cricket history.

ENG vs IND: A History of Heartbreak at Edgbaston

India’s Test record at Edgbaston is among the worst of all other venues in England. In eight matches played here since 1967, India has lost seven and drawn one. That solitary draw came way back in 1986 under Kapil Dev’s captaincy, a series India eventually won 2-0. But since then, it’s been a string of crushing defeats, including innings losses in 1974, 1979, and 2011.

The 2022 Test at Edgbaston was perhaps the most gut-wrenching of all. India, led by stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah, posted 416 in the first innings and set England a daunting target of 378. But centuries from Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow powered the hosts to their highest-ever successful run chase in Tests, sealing a seven-wicket win and leaving India stunned. That loss meant that Team India lost an opportunity to win a Test series in England after 15 years, as the series ended in a stalemate of 2-2.

Why Edgbaston Has Been India’s Tender Spot

Several factors contribute to India’s poor record at Edgbaston. The overcast conditions and pitch traditionally offer pace and bounce, especially on Days 1 and 2, which suits England’s seamers. Overcast conditions often amplify swing, and India’s batters, especially in earlier decades, have struggled to adapt. The new generation of Indian cricket batters have adopted swing to a great extent, but ultimately lack of practice in overcast conditions has haunted Team India at Edgbaston historically.

Moreover, India’s bowlers have often failed to maintain pressure across sessions. In 2011, for instance, Alastair Cook’s marathon 294 led England to a mammoth 710/7 declared, handing India an innings-and-242-run defeat. Even in 2018, despite Virat Kohli’s heroic 149, India fell short by 31 runs in a low-scoring thriller.

What’s different in 2025?

This time, India arrives with a new captain in Shubman Gill, a fresh leadership group, and a team in transition. Yet, there’s reason for cautious optimism.

Gill himself is in sublime form, having scored a century at Headingley. Rishabh Pant, who struck twin tons in the first Test, is on the verge of surpassing Virat Kohli for most Test centuries by an Indian against England. KL Rahul scored a ton in the last game when it was indeed needed. Yashasvi Jaiswal is closing in on 2,000 Test runs in record time, and the middle order, though inconsistent, has shown flashes of brilliance.

The bowling attack, however, remains a concern. With Jasprit Bumrah likely to be rested, India may turn to Arshdeep Singh or Akash Deep to fill the void. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna were expensive in Leeds, and the team will need a more disciplined performance to contain England’s aggressive “Bazball” approach.

However, one thing that might go in favor of Team India is England’s current bowling setup. Yes, Jofra Archer is back, but he is back after a long layoff from red-ball cricket. Archer’s last Test outing came against India in Ahmedabad in 2021, but since then, his career has been plagued by regular injuries. Archer will need some time to strengthen himself and bowl long spells, something Test cricket requires the most from a pacer. Team India should take advantage of this fact and hit the sucker punch on a fragile Archer.

Besides Archer, the likes of Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse are fairly new to the red ball game. Yes, Tongue picked up 4 in the last Test’s first innings, but most of those wickets were of batters who were rushed in the dramatic collapse. Experienced Chris Woakes looked completely off the radar as he managed only a solitary wicket in the whole match. Woakes, too, is coming from an injury, and it was visible in his efforts in the last game that his body is still soaking up the demands of Test cricket.

With the legendary duo of Stuart Broad and James Anderson no longer playing, Team India has a golden opportunity to go for the kill against a bowling unit that looks vulnerable without the aforementioned duo.

England’s Fortress, and Their Firepower

For the hosts, Edgbaston is a happy hunting ground. They’ve won 30 of their 56 Tests at the venue and lost just 11. Joe Root, in particular, has a phenomenal record here: 920 runs in nine Tests at an average of 70.76, including three centuries. His last three Tests at Edgbaston have yielded 424 runs at an average of 141.33.

Add to that the form of Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, and Harry Brook, and it’s clear that England’s batting lineup is built to thrive in these conditions. Their bowlers need to put up a good show cohesively, especially after the first Test, where the Indian batters scored 5 tons in the match.

ENG vs IND: What India Must Do to Break the Curse

• Win the Toss and Bat First: Historically, teams batting first at Edgbaston have had the upper hand. India must back their batters to post a big first innings, especially if it isn’t overcast.
• Fielding Discipline: India dropped 8 catches at Headingley, including key chances that allowed England to chase 371 with ease. At Edgbaston, every opportunity must be taken.
• Lower-Order Resistance: India’s tail contributed just 13 runs across both innings in the first Test. Even 30–40 extra runs from Nos. 8 to 11 could prove decisive.
• Contain Bazball: England’s ultra-aggressive style thrives on loose bowling. India’s pacers must maintain tight lines and lengths, especially with the new ball.
• Spin Strategy: If the pitch shows signs of wear, Kuldeep Yadav could be a trump card. His wrist-spin offers variety and could trouble England’s middle order.

A win at Edgbaston wouldn’t just level the series; it would instill a self-belief in this young Indian side to hop on and be more aggressive in their approach in the remainder of the series.