It’s ‘Boom Boom’ Akash at Edgbaston as Pope and Brook take the long walk back to pavilion

Play resumed on the final day of the second Test at Edgbaston after a brief rain delay, and it was India’s pacer Akash Deep who immediately turned the tide in India's favour with a brilliant opening spell. With England resuming at 67/3, Akash Deep struck early to dismiss Ollie Pope, who dragged a delivery onto his stumps while attempting a defensive shot. The ball, delivered with extra bounce and targeting the stumps, exploited Pope’s known weakness of leaving a gap between bat and pad.

Shortly after, Harry Brook was undone by a delivery that kept unexpectedly low, again from Akash Deep. The England batter was caught off guard, and his dismissal left the hosts five down, further denting their hopes of a record chase.

Akash’s relentless accuracy and ability to extract seam movement made life extremely difficult for England’s batters in the overcast, bowler-friendly conditions. His tactical switch from probing the fourth-stump line to attacking the stumps paid off handsomely. With England now reeling and India needing just a few more wickets, suggestions were made to bring in Mohammed Siraj from the other end to wrap things up, as Prasidh Krishna was leaking a few loose deliveries despite a decent spell.