Will rain mar India's potential win at Edgbaston? Details here
What's the story
India, under the captaincy of Shubman Gill, are on the verge of their maiden Test victory at Edgbaston. They need just seven wickets to achieve this historic feat. The 2nd Test is heading into its final day, with England requiring 536 more runs. India declared their second innings at 427, setting a mammoth 608-run target. However, rain could play spoilsport on Day 5.
Match dynamics
Dominant India on top
England are three wickets down in pursuit of a 608-run target versus India at Edgbaston. Day 4 saw India resume the proceedings at 64/1. They went on to reach a score of 427/6 before declaring. The declaration came post-tea. KL Rahul (55), Shubman Gill (161), Rishabh Pant (65), and Ravindra Jadeja (69*) scored pivotal runs. In response, England were 72/3 at stumps, needing 536 runs to win.
Weather prediction
Rain likely to play spoilsport on Day 5
The BBC and AccuWeather have predicted rain in the early hours of Day 5, with the probability being as high as 79% around 7:00am local time (11:30am IST). However, the forecast improves later in the day with chances reducing to about 22% by 1:00pm (5:30pm IST). This means that while India's bowling time could be reduced, it wouldn't completely eliminate their chances of victory.
Conditions analysis
Conditions to favor India's bowling attack
The temperature at Edgbaston on Day 5 is expected to remain below 20°C, with overcast skies and gusty winds of up to 50km/h. These conditions could heavily favor India's pacers. The likes of Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna would be raring to go. Spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar will also come into play, making use of the rough patches.