England’s top-order collapse on Day Two of the second Test at Edgbaston drew sharp criticism from former captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton, as Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj ignited a fiery Indian response in the final session.
The home side, replying to India’s imposing first innings total of 587, crumbled under pressure and poor shot selection to end the day at 77/3, still trailing by 510 runs. The damage was done in quick time, with England reduced to 25/3 within the first 10 overs of their innings.
Akash Deep, playing in place of a rested Jasprit Bumrah, set the tone in his second over with a sharp delivery that induced a thick outside edge from Ben Duckett. Standing at third slip, Indian skipper Shubman Gill made no mistake with the catch as Duckett walked back for a five-ball duck.
The very next ball saw Ollie Pope perish for a golden duck, trying to flick a delivery that held its line. KL Rahul at second slip fumbled but eventually pouched the chance, sending England’s second centurion from the previous Test back to the pavilion without scoring.
Mohammed Siraj added to England’s misery soon after by drawing Zak Crawley into a loose drive. The opener, who looked promising with a couple of boundaries, edged one to Karun Nair at first slip to depart for 19.
Former England skipper Nasser Hussain, speaking on Sky Sports, did not hold back in his assessment. “This is a flat pitch. The ball is swinging just a bit, but as a top-order batter, you must be able to cope. There’s absolutely no need to flirt with deliveries outside off stump. Back your defence. This was poor shot selection, plain and simple.”
Michael Atherton, analysing Harry Brook’s risky strokeplay during a tense phase, was equally scathing. “Brook has got to get his batting head on here,” he said. “He was trying to run that down with two slips in place. Ridiculous. There’s a time for flair, but this wasn’t it.”
Despite the early blows, England’s innings didn’t completely unravel thanks to a gritty stand between Brook (30*) and Joe Root (18*). The duo managed to blunt the Indian attack for the remainder of the day, giving the hosts a glimmer of hope heading into Day Three.
However, the mountain remains steep. With the top order undone by some smart pace bowling and questionable shot-making, England will need a significant fightback to avoid ceding further ground in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series.
