As predicted, England claimed an impressive victory in the opening Test and now turn their attention to Edgbaston, where they'll aim to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series against India. The second Test gets underway on Wednesday night — read on for our full preview and England vs India betting tips.
We'll be providing betting tips for every Test match throughout the English summer, so be sure to check back in the lead up to each for our previews. All odds for the English summer of cricket are provided by Dabble.
England vs India: 2nd Test Betting Tips
Edgbaston, Wednesday, 2nd July, 8:00pm (AEDT)
No Brakes on BazBall: England Outclass India in Series Opener
Just when you think they were dead on the canvas, another BazBall masterclass run chase helped England to claim a fantastic win in the 1st Test, getting over the line by five wickets. Needing a whopping 373 to win off roughly 93 overs in the final innings, England chased down the mammoth score with more than 10 overs to spare on the back of a brilliant century from opener Ben Duckett, who smashed 149 off 170 balls in a man of the match performance.
In the first innings, Ollie Pope grafted a well fought century while Harry Brook added 99 of his own in what was a game dominated by bat throughout. Josh Tongue was the pick of the bowlers for England, picking up 4/86 in the 1st inning before backing it up with 3/72 in the 2nd.
There is no way England will make any changes to their top seven here, as each of them contributed significantly to the win with at least one important innings in the 1st Test. Josh Tongue and Shoaib Bashir should play again. The remaining two spots will be fought between Chris Woakes, Sam Cook and speedster Jofra Archer, who was added to the squad for the 2nd Test.
Predicted England XI: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir
Teething Troubles: India Fall Just Short Under New Regime
India did plenty right in the first Test, but ultimately couldn’t convert their dominance into a win. After being sent in to bat following the toss, they made England pay with a commanding Day 1 performance, finishing on 359/3. However, what looked like a potentially match-defining first innings ended in frustration, as the tail collapsed and India were bowled out for 471 — a score that ended up being less imposing than it should have been.
Despite five centuries in the match — including two from the exciting Rishabh Pant — India’s downfall came in the fourth innings, where they failed to seize control with the ball. Ravindra Jadeja, typically lethal in final innings conditions, struggled to make an impact, returning uncharacteristic figures of 1/104 as England surged to victory.
While the core of India’s batting lineup delivered, the new guard in Sudharsan and Nair both failed to impress, raising questions about potential changes in the top seven. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are expected to lead the pace attack once again, but the inclusion of a second spinner in Kuldeep Yadav to support Jadeja is certainly on the table for Edgbaston.
Predicted India XI: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharson, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Karun Nair, Ravi Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj
England vs India 2nd Test Tip
The inclusion of Jofra Archer, returning to the Test squad after a four-year hiatus due to injury, bolsters England's pace attack, adding depth alongside Chris Woakes and Josh Tongue . Edgbaston's pitch is known to favor both pacers and spinners, but England's familiarity with home conditions and their aggressive "BazBall" approach under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum give them a strategic advantage.
The potential inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav could provide variety to the spin department for India, but questions remain about the effectiveness of their bowling unit on English pitches. I think India performed above what we’d generally expect of them on English pitches in the 1st Test, and they still lost. Backing England to get the job done again here.
