India's Birmingham Curse: Can Gill's Team Rewrite History Against England After Leeds Loss?

India will be looking to bounce back when they take on England in the second Test, starting July 2 at Edgbaston in Birmingham. Despite having the hosts on the ropes for most of the series opener at Headingley in Leeds, India failed to seize the decisive moments on Day 5, ultimately losing by five wickets as England chased down a daunting target of 371.

With the series now tilted in England’s favour, the pressure is on the visitors to stage a strong comeback and keep alive their hopes of winning a Test series on English soil for the first time since 2007.

Can India turn things around at Edgbaston? Will they find inspiration from their comeback at home last year, when they bounced back after losing the Hyderabad Test by 28 runs?

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Here’s what history has to say.

India’s record in Birmingham is far from encouraging. Since 1967, they have played eight Tests at Edgbaston and lost seven. Their only draw came in 1986, during a historic series win under Kapil Dev’s captaincy.

In that match, India were chasing 236 but found themselves in deep trouble at 105 for five. A gritty, unbeaten 69-run stand between Mohammad Azharuddin and Kiran More rescued the visitors and ensured a draw.

More recently, in 2022, India had a golden opportunity to break their Birmingham jinx. After setting England a target of 378, they looked well-placed. But Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow stitched together a massive 269-run partnership to guide the hosts to a record-breaking chase.

As India prepare to take the field in Birmingham once again, they will be eager to bury the ghosts of the Leeds defeat. A comeback is the need of the hour - but history suggests it won’t be easy.

If India falter in Birmingham, salvaging the series - let alone winning it - will become an uphill task.