Fans question head coach Rahul Dravid after India's third straight overseas defeat at Edgbaston

India went down to England by seven wickets in the fifth Test at Edgbaston, thereby further extending the wait of an elusive series win in the country since 2007.
 By CX Staff Writer Jul 5, 2022, 17:51 IST
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England gunned down the 378-run target in just 78.4 overs with Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow scoring hundreds.

India’s seven wicket defeat to England in the Edgbaston Test prompted quite a few questions over their team selection and tactics, with the team losing its third straight overseas Test under new head coach Rahul Dravid, after back-to-back defeats to South Africa earlier this year.

Notably, India failed to defend totals on each of the previous two occasions too, with the seven-wicket margin staying constant.

Dravid, who had captained India during their last series win in England back in 2007, has copped criticism from several corners early into his coaching stints, with the team’s results showing stark contrast to what they were like under Ravi Shastri.

India had amassed 416 in the first innings despite being reduced to 98/5 on the first day after losing the toss, thanks to hundreds from Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja. They had England down at 83/5 late on Day 2, but Jonny Bairstow’s 106 ensured that England finished 284 - still 132 behind India in the first innings.

India managed only 245 in the second innings with Cheteshwar Pujara and Jadeja scoring fifties, setting the hosts a 378-run target. Alex Lees and Zak Crawley set it up early, but England slumped from 107/0 to 109/3 on either side of the tea break on Day 4, before Bairstow and Root took over the charge and were unstoppable till the winning runs were scored.

India lost the Test and ODI series in South Africa, and played a drawn 2-2 T20I series at home against the same opponents last month, before losing out on a genuine chance to register a Test series win in England. While India were somewhat dented by untimely injuries and illness to their key players including captain Rohit Sharma and vice-captain KL Rahul, the sequence of results under Dravid’s coaching stint has left the team with more questions than answers.

Here’s how the cricketing world reacted after India’s seven-wicket defeat to England:


 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 


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