TimesofIndia.com in Birmingham: After Shubman Gill notched up another century and helped India set a towering 608-run target for England’s Bazballers, Indian pacers Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep made the new ball talk once again, rattling England's top order. The hosts were left reeling at 72 for three in 16 overs at stumps on day four of the second Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Saturday.
Akash Deep removed the dangerous Ben Duckett and the experienced Joe Root, while Siraj dismissed Zak Crawley with a full outswinger that was caught at backward point. India now need seven more wickets on the final day, Sunday, to secure their first-ever Test win at Edgbaston.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel praised the duo’s performance after their crucial breakthroughs kept the visitors in command.
"Very happy with the performance. Coming to Akash, he’s an attacking bowler who constantly asks questions around the stumps. It's a good sign for us to see him charging in like that after returning from injury. Hopefully, he'll replay that Joe Root dismissal on his phone tonight," Morkel told reporters after the day’s play.
"For me, Mohammed Siraj is a guy I have a lot of respect for. He wears his heart on his sleeve when he bowls. Sometimes he tries too hard, which can lead to inconsistency, but we don’t give him enough credit — he does the dirty work for the team," he added.
India’s declaration, which came an hour after the tea break, drew criticism from both experts and fans. On-air, Cheteshwar Pujara also said that the team should have declared at least half an hour earlier.
Asked about the timing of the declaration, Morkel said: "We did have a lot of discussions during the day. It’s a good wicket and you can’t really control the weather. We were aiming for 2–3 wickets today, and we managed to get them."
Sharing his thoughts on England's mindset, Morkel added: "Harry Brook said yesterday that they would go for the chase — we’re in for an exciting day of cricket."
The task for India on the final day is straightforward: take the remaining seven wickets and seal their first-ever Test win at Edgbaston.
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