India vs England 2nd Test Day 5: Will Rain Spoil India’s Historic Win?

India vs England 2nd Test Day 5: Will Rain Spoil India’s Historic Win?

India’s on the verge of something huge at Edgbaston, but, you know, classic British weather might just go all party-pooper on them. Seriously, can cricket ever catch a break in England?

After Day 4, India’s basically got one hand on the trophy, thanks to Shubman Gill going absolutely berserk with the bat. The guy didn’t just help India dominate—he went straight into the Test cricket hall of fame. First dude ever to bash out a 250 and a 150 in the *same* match. Nuts, right? He hammered a monstrous 267 in the first dig, then whacked a rapid-fire 161 in the second, barely stopping to breathe between runs.

So, India declared at a chunky 427 for 6 after tea, setting England a target so ridiculous you’d think it was a typo: 608 to win. Just for context, the biggest fourth-innings chase in Test history? West Indies chased 418 back in ’03. England’s own best? They chased 378—against India, funnily enough—on this very ground in 2022. But 608? Yeah, good luck, lads.

End of Day 4, England’s looking a bit lost at 72 for 3. The top order crumbled, thanks to India’s seamers having a field day. Siraj, who’d already bagged 6 for 70 earlier, sent Zak Crawley packing for a duck. Akash Deep—stepping in for the injured Bumrah—kept the pressure on, snatching four wickets in the first innings. Then he cleaned up Ben Duckett and castled Joe Root with an absolute peach. Root, the so-called king of Test batting, managed a measly six runs.So now England need 536 more with only seven wickets in hand. Let’s be real, their “Bazball” approach might be fun to watch, but this is a mountain, not a molehill.

And then there’s the weather. Oh boy. Birmingham’s forecast is as flaky as ever. Met Office reckons there’ll be some light rain between 9 and 11 in the morning, and it’ll stay cloudy. Apparently, there’s a 30-50% shot at rain till about 2 pm. Translation? Play could start late, which means fewer overs for India to finish the job—and, annoyingly, more hope for England to hang in for a draw. On the plus side, that damp air could make the ball swing like crazy, which is just what Indian pacers would love.

Things get better after lunch: rain’s supposed to buzz off, with only a tiny chance of showers in the afternoon. So, maybe they’ll get a long enough run to wrap things up. Still, it’s the UK—trusting the weather is like betting on Arsenal to win the league every year.

Bottom line: India’s bowlers get a boost from the conditions, but every over lost is a pain. Seven wickets left, and the clock’s ticking. England, meanwhile, will be praying for rain like it’s Glastonbury.

This is a big one for India. Never won a Test at Edgbaston—ever. If they pull it off, it’s 1-1 in the series, and the ghost of Edgbaston finally gets exorcised. Plus, doing it without Bumrah? That’s a statement.

India’s swaggering right now. Gill’s been on fire, bowlers have been relentless, and the captain’s bold declaration shows real trust in his attack. England? Well, they’re staring down a mental and technical Everest. Chasing 608 with their main guys already back in the pavilion? That’s the definition of “up against it.” Their only shot? Bat till their arms fall off, rack up partnerships, and hope the heavens open.

So yeah, all eyes on the Birmingham skyline and the pitch. India’ll want time to finish the job; England’s just hoping to hang on. Will the weather crash the party or let India finally break the Edgbaston curse? Either way, Day 5’s about to get real spicy.