India's Birmingham Test Victory Demonstrates Real Team Depth In Spite of Jasprit Bumrah's Non-Appearance

India's thumping 336-run victory over England in the Birmingham Test will be remembered as one of the most special wins of recent times not only for the margin but also due to the manner in which each player rose to the occasion particularly in the absence of star pacer Jasprit Bumrah. Shubman Gill who guided the team with both bat and leadership was lavish in praise for his bowlers Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj who changed the game with their unbelievable spells.

Without Jasprit in the team there were many questions prior to the match about whether India was capable of taking 20 wickets but Gill was not worried. Following the victory, he explained that this side had enough strength in the bowling attack to do the job in any weather. He added that although Jasprit Bhai is among the finest bowlers in the world currently the rest of the attack can also manage the job and the match stood as a witness to it. Gill was elated with the way Akash and Siraj bowled and mentioned that he had no words to express how proud he was. The skipper pointed out that both of them together took 16 or 17 wickets in the match which in itself is a huge accomplishment.

Akash Deep's ten-wicket haul in the match was a historic one and Siraj’s six wickets in the first innings completely changed the course of the game. Together they dismantled the English batting lineup and showed the world that India’s pace unit doesn’t depend on one name alone. This strong team effort gave India a huge upper hand right from the start and never let England settle.

Prior to the match, a reporter asked Gill to remember that India had never won at this ground previously with seven losses and one draw. But Gill had dismissed those statistics and after winning the game humorously said that he could not locate his favourite journalist. He reminded them all that he didn't have faith in history or past statistics and thought this Indian team just needed to beat England anywhere. It was his belief that the team possessed the right form and momentum in terms of form and that they could make the series one to remember.

The Indian camp game plan reflected very clear strategy. Gill conceded that during England's first innings at 84 for 5 they attempted a short-ball plan that failed and enabled England's lower order to take their score freely. But he clarified that risk was a part of his overall strategy and as India was already leading the match he could take that risk. He also explained how the team deliberated and decided to bowl more tightly in the second innings particularly targeting the stumps and playing on the uneven bounce on the last day. This plan proved to the letter and Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep's spells at the beginning of the day dictated the tone of a complete bowling show.

Gill also touched upon maintaining control of the game while the ball becomes old particularly between the 30th and 80th over. He said that when the pitch is level and the ball becomes soft it gets difficult to take wickets and the thing during that time is to limit runs and hope for the second new ball. With the harder ball wickets are easier to be grabbed and exactly the same thing they were able to do in both innings.

England opted to bowl first in the first innings and India replied with a dominant batting performance. KL Rahul got out early but Yashasvi Jaiswal and Karun Nair went on to add 80 runs stabilizing the innings. Gill then had a captain's innings scoring 203 runs with Ravindra Jadeja and then 144 runs with Washington Sundar. Gill himself scored a marathon run of 269 with 30 boundaries and three sixes. Jadeja contributed a vital 89 and Sundar contributed 42 as India amassed a record 587 in the first innings.

England fought back with a mammoth 303-run partnership between Harry Brook and Jamie Smith after tottering at 84 for 5. Brook scored 158 and Smith got 184 not out as India wracked their brains. The second new ball again came into the equation and changed the game as Siraj and Akash joined the party to complete the tail for just 20 more runs and bowl England out for 407.

In the second innings India did not indulge in wastage of time and went on to dominate. Jaiswal scored a flukey 28 and Rahul scored 55. Gill struck again this time with a quickfire 161 featuring 13 fours and eight sixes. Together with Jadeja who was left on 69, they added another 175 runs as India declared at 427 for 6 presenting England with an almost impossible target of 608 to run for.

England were reduced to 50 for 3 in the chase and only Jamie Smith resisted with 88 runs. The remaining batting order wilted under pressure and Akash Deep, who claimed 6 wickets in the second innings, achieved a ten-wicket haul in the game. England were bundled out for 271 and India won the match by a huge margin of 336 runs.

It was not only about the win but about how each player chipped in and how the team recovered well without the services of a premier bowler like Bumrah. The win was spearheaded by astute captaincy by Gill good pace bowling by Akash and Siraj and good batting efforts across the order. The team's confidence and unity were evident and demonstrated why this Indian team is among the best to have visited England.