India's captain Shubman Gill celebrates after scoring a century during day four of the second cricket test match between England and India at Edgbaston in Birmingham, England, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)
The weather in Birmingham on Sunday could be a significant factor in India's pursuit of a series-levelling victory in the second Test against England at Edgbaston.
India currently holds a commanding position, largely thanks to Shubman Gill's exceptional performance. Gill achieved a unique feat, becoming the first batsman in Test history to record scores of 250 and 150 in the same match. Furthermore, the combined efforts of Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep with the new ball have put the pressure firmly on the home side.
Gill's impressive knock of 161 off 162 balls followed his first-innings score of 267, allowing him to declare India’s second innings at 427-6 on the fourth day. This set England a daunting target of 608 runs to win the match and take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
However, weather forecasts suggest that the final day's play may be affected by rain. Overcast skies are expected in the morning, with light showers predicted between 9 am and 11 am. These potential interruptions could delay the start of play and create favorable conditions for seam bowlers due to the increased moisture in the pitch.
According to the UK Met Office, Birmingham is likely to experience wet weather during the first part of the day. The probability of rain ranges from 50% to 30% between 10 am and 2 pm local time (7:30 pm IST). However, the forecast indicates that the heavy rain is expected to give way to overcast skies by lunchtime, with the chance of further showers decreasing to below 10% after 3 pm.
Historically, the highest successful fourth-innings run chase in Test cricket is 418, achieved by the West Indies against Australia in 2003.
England's own record stands at 378, which they scored against India at Edgbaston three years prior.
At the close of play on Saturday, England were 72-3, requiring a further 536 runs on the final day. Achieving this would be a remarkable feat, even considering their current aggressive 'Bazball' approach to batting.
Mohammed Siraj, who spearheaded India’s attack with figures of 6-70 in the first innings, made an early breakthrough on Saturday by dismissing Zak Crawley for a duck.
Akash Deep, stepping in for the world's top-ranked fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, continued his impressive performance from the first innings, where he took four wickets. He bowled left-hander Ben Duckett (25) with a ball that nipped back sharply.
Deep then dismissed Joe Root for just six, clean bowling the world's number one-ranked Test batsman with a superb full-length delivery that moved away late.
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