Cricket: India close on victory

Ben Stokes falls on brink of lunch

England captain Ben Stokes fell to the final ball before lunch as India advanced towards a series-levelling victory in the second Rothesay Test at Edgbaston.

The hosts were 153 for six at the end of a rain-delayed first session, trailing by 455 and with 55 overs left in the day.

Akash Deep dismissed overnight batters Ollie Pope and Harry Brook in a wonderful opening spell that left England digging in for the first rearguard of the ‘Bazball’ era.

But even a rare draw looked beyond them when Washington Sundar nipped Stokes out lbw to break a 70-run stand with Jamie Smith in the last over prior to the break.

Heavy morning showers pushed the start back by an hour and 40 minutes, though rejigged session times meant only 10 of the scheduled 90 overs were lost.

That nudged England’s required run-rate up to 6.7 an over, effectively removing whatever sliver of optimism they had about embarking on a world record run-chase of 608.

Instead, the game was all about India’s hunt for wickets. It did not take long for them to open their account, danger man Deep taking just seven balls.

Pope had watched his first over from the non-striker’s end but was removed at the first time of asking, failing to smother the bounce as he deflected it back into his stumps off his arm. He threw his head back in frustration, gone for 24 to follow his golden duck on day two.

Brook enjoyed considerably better fortunes in the first innings, making 158, but he was sent on his way in Deep’s next over as the pitch began to offer some serious assistance.

Targeting a sizeable crack just short of a good length, the seamer hit the jackpot as the ball jagged back dramatically and pinned a wrong-footed Brook on the inside of the knee. DRS upheld the umpire’s lbw decision as Brook limped away beaten and bruised.

Deep could easily have taken a third in a consistently menacing opening spell, Stokes just escaping a drag-on and Smith’s stumps somehow surviving two near misses in four balls.

The pair looked to piece together a substantial partnership, Stokes restricting himself to just 18 off his first 50 balls. But India reaped the rewards of hustling one extra over before lunch when Sundar beat Stokes’ flat-bat defence and struck him clean in front.

Show less   Published: 06/07/2025 by Radio NewsHub