Akash Deep leads the way as India level England Test series with crushing 336-run win

Fast bowler picks up 6-99 to finish with 10-wicket haul in record victory at Edgbaston

India's Akash Deep, second right, celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of England's Jamie Smith on day five of the second cricket test match between England and India at Edgbaston in Birmingham, England, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (AP Photo / Scott Heppell)

Akash Deep celebrates with KL Rahul after taking the final wicket of Brydon Carse. He finished with 10 wickets in the match as India won the Edgbaston Test. Getty Images

Akash Deep picked up six wickets in the second innings as India won the second Test against England by 336 runs. Getty Images

England captain Ben Stokes is out lbw against spinner Washington Sundar. AFP

Akash Deep finished with 10 wickets in the match after coming in as Jasprit Bumrah's replacement. Getty Images

Harry Brook of England is trapped lbw by Akash Deep. Getty Images

Akash Deep celebrates taking the wicket of Harry Brook. Getty Images

Stand-in fast bowler Akash Deep finished with 10 wickets in the match as India sealed a comprehensive 336-run win in the second Test against England in Edgbaston.

Deep, playing because India rested pace ace Jasprit Bumrah, finished with 6-99 in the second innings to bowl England out for 271 for India's first win at the venue.

Deep's match figures of 10-147 were far and away the best of his eight-Test career as India levelled the five-match series at 1-1.

“All of the things we spoke about after the first game, we were spot on with all of those things. The way we came back with our bowling and fielding was tremendous,” said captain Shubman Gill.

“We knew with 400 or 500 we would be in the game, especially if we he held our catches. Both our bowlers bowled brilliantly with the way we were able to get through [England's] top order.

“Akash Deep bowled with so much heart and skilfully with his lengths. He moved it in both directions, which was tough to do. He was magnificent for us.”

England were set an impossible target of 608 and had only seven wickets in hand at the beginning of the day's play.

India's bowlers knew the scoreboard pressure meant England could not possibly go after the target, which allowed them to bowl according to their own plans all day.

Despite the loss of 10 overs in the morning session due to heavy rain, India had enough overs to put pressure on the hosts.

After rain delayed Sunday's start by more than 90 minutes, England resumed on 72-3 in bright sunshine.

Ollie Pope was 24 not out and Harry Brook, who made a superb 158 during a first-innings stand of over 300 with Jamie Smith, unbeaten on 15.

Deep struck two early blows by dismissing Pope and Brook during a spell of 2-22 in six overs.

Pope had failed to add to his overnight score when he was undone extra bounce. The ball hit him on the glove and forearm before deflecting on to the stumps.

His exit brought in Stokes, on a king pair after his first golden duck in Test cricket in the first innings.

But Stokes avoided the embarrassment of two noughts in the same match with a legside flick.

England were soon 83-5, however, when Brook (23) was lbw to a Deep ball that came in sharply and hit him on the back knee.

Smith, in at 84-5 before making 184 not out in the first innings, walked out to bat with England once more trouble. But he soon struck Deep for a punched four through cover-point.

The wicketkeeper was then fortunate to survive two Deep inswinging deliveries that somehow missed the stumps.

England were 153-6 at lunch. That give India the confidence to go for victory in the second session. Smith batted without any trouble and India focused on getting batters at the other end out.

Chris Woakes got a tame top edge to a short ball from Prasidh Krishna that went to short mid wicket.

With Smith running out of partners, he went on the attack and hit successive sixes off Deep to near his second century of the match. But he went for one pull shot too many and was caught at deep square leg to hand the impressive fast bowler his first five-wicket haul.

England's lower order then chanced their arm and added a few runs. But that only delayed the inevitable.

Deep finished the match by getting Brydon Carse to top edge one to captain Gill at cover. It was India's biggest away win in terms of runs.

It turned out to be a perfect match for captain Gill, who on Saturday became the first batsman in Test cricket to post scores of 250 and 150 in the same match.

The 25-year-old followed his majestic 269 in the first innings with a dashing 161 off 162 balls in the second.

Gill has now scored three hundreds in his first two Tests as captain following his 147 during India's five-wicket loss in the series opener at Headingley.

“I wouldn't say it's a concern,” said England captain Stokes after the loss. “We ran in, we tried everything, we changed plans, but when a team's on top of you – and India are a class team – it's hard to change the momentum.

“Shubman Gill had an unbelievable performance.”