India closing on victory in second test against England thanks to inspired Akash Deep

By Canadian Press on July 6, 2025.

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — India was close to a series-tying win over England in the second test on Sunday after Akash Deep removed Ollie Pope and Harry Brook early and Washington Sundar dismissed Ben Stokes with the final ball before lunch to leave the home team 153-6 on Day 5.

Set 608 to win at Edgbaston, England can only hope to draw the match. Jamie Smith (32) was in the middle with only England’s tail for company now.

After play started one hour and 40 minutes late because of wet weather, India made immediate inroads thanks to Deep, a penetrating pace bowler who had taken the wickets of Ben Duckett and Joe Root late on Saturday.

Getting good seam movement and help from the cracks on the pitch, Deep sent in a delivery to Pope (24) that the batter gloved down and onto his stumps.

In Deep’s next over, Brook (23) was trapped lbw by a ball that jagged back off the seam. England failed with a review and was 83-5.

Deep — only playing because star pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been rested — had figures of 4-58 by the time he was taken out of the attack, leaving Stokes and Smith to face a stern examination against left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who was turning the ball sharply out of the rough.

Sundar was given a bowl before lunch and he got the key wicket of Stokes in the final over of the session, trapping the England captain lbw for 33.

England was still a mammoth 455 runs behind.

England won the first test in Headingley last week after chasing down 371.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

The Associated Press