News
IPL
Women’s Premier League (WPL)
Features
Fantasy Cricket
Watch
Interviews
MP T20 League
Social Reactions
Betting Tips
Contact

Ben Stokes and England Must Self-Reflect: 4 Talking Points From A Humiliating Defeat in Edgbaston Test

Sandip Pawar

They lost the second Test by 336 runs..

England suffered a massive 336-run defeat in the Edgbaston Test as India managed to level the series without Jasprit Bumrah. Ben Stokes and co. were thoroughly outplayed in the second Test and some serious questions need to be asked. 

Playing under a new captain Shubman Gill, the visitors dominated the proceedings for most of the game. England needed to chase 608 in the final innings, and for all the talk of going for the win, they were folded for 271 with a session to go. On a flat pitch, their failure to bat 160 overs across two innings raises questions about their approach. Here are some major talking points for England from the defeat.

Upcoming – test – United Kingdom
County Championship Division One, 2025
29 Jul 2025, 03:30 PM IST
Nottinghamshire NOT

Somerset SOM

Upcoming – t10 – United Kingdom
ECS England, Wimbledon, 2025
29 Jul 2025, 02:30 PM IST
Weybridge WEY

East Molesey ESM

Upcoming – t10 – United Kingdom
ECS England, Wimbledon, 2025
29 Jul 2025, 04:30 PM IST
Banstead BAN

East Molesey ESM

Upcoming – t10 – United Kingdom
ECS England, Wimbledon, 2025
29 Jul 2025, 06:30 PM IST
Weybridge WEY

Spencer SPE

Upcoming – t10 – United Kingdom
ECS England, Wimbledon, 2025
29 Jul 2025, 08:45 PM IST
Spencer SPE

Banstead BAN

Upcoming – t10 – United Kingdom
ECS England, Wimbledon, 2025
29 Jul 2025, 10:45 PM IST
Weybridge WEY

Banstead BAN

Upcoming – t10 – United Kingdom
ECS England, Wimbledon, 2025
30 Jul 2025, 02:30 PM IST
East Molesey ESM

Spencer SPE

Upcoming – t10 – United Kingdom
ECS England, Wimbledon, 2025
30 Jul 2025, 04:30 PM IST
Twickenham TWI

Spencer SPE

Upcoming – t10 – United Kingdom
ECS England, Wimbledon, 2025
30 Jul 2025, 06:30 PM IST
East Molesey ESM

Weybridge WEY

Upcoming – t10 – United Kingdom
ECS England, Wimbledon, 2025
30 Jul 2025, 08:45 PM IST
Weybridge WEY

Twickenham TWI

Upcoming – t10 – United Kingdom
ECS England, Wimbledon, 2025
30 Jul 2025, 10:45 PM IST
East Molesey ESM

Twickenham TWI

Toss – t20 – Kamrup Metropolitan
GTC Spring T20 Cup, 2nd Edition, 2025
29 Jul 2025, 09:00 AM IST
Guwahati Giants GUG

Navarang Club NVR

Upcoming – t20 – Kamrup Metropolitan
GTC Spring T20 Cup, 2nd Edition, 2025
29 Jul 2025, 01:15 PM IST
City Cricket Club CCC

Gauhati Town Club GTC

Upcoming – t20 – Kamrup Metropolitan
GTC Spring T20 Cup, 2nd Edition, 2025
30 Jul 2025, 09:00 AM IST
Bud Cricket Club BCC

91 Yards Club 91YC

Upcoming – t20 – Kamrup Metropolitan
GTC Spring T20 Cup, 2nd Edition, 2025
30 Jul 2025, 01:15 PM IST
Nabajyoti Club NAJC

Guwahati Giants GUG

Upcoming – t10 – Kuwait City
KCC T10 Summer League, 2025
29 Jul 2025, 10:15 PM IST
Phoenix Cricketers PCR

Bihar CC BCC

Upcoming – t10 – Kuwait City
KCC T10 Summer League, 2025
30 Jul 2025, 12:15 AM IST
Gujrat Cricket Club GUJCC

Khan Zalmi Kings KZK

Upcoming – t10 – Kuwait City
KCC T10 Summer League, 2025
30 Jul 2025, 10:15 PM IST
Royal Trivianz RTZ

Keraniganj Challengers KGC

Upcoming – t10 – Kuwait City
KCC T10 Summer League, 2025
31 Jul 2025, 12:15 AM IST
Tally Rangers TCC

Jhelum Jaguars JJ

Upcoming – test – Bulawayo
New Zealand tour of Zimbabwe, Test, 2025
30 Jul 2025, 01:30 PM IST
Zimbabwe ZIM

New Zealand NZ

Upcoming – t20 – Kabul
Shpageeza Cricket League, 2025
29 Jul 2025, 10:00 AM IST
Amo Sharks ASS

Boost Defenders BDS

Upcoming – t20 – Kabul
Shpageeza Cricket League, 2025
29 Jul 2025, 03:00 PM IST
Band-e-Amir Dragons BAD

Mis Ainak Knights MAK

Upcoming – t20 – Kabul
Shpageeza Cricket League, 2025
30 Jul 2025, 10:00 AM IST
Band-e-Amir Dragons BAD

Amo Sharks ASS

Upcoming – t20 – Kabul
Shpageeza Cricket League, 2025
30 Jul 2025, 03:00 PM IST
Speen Ghar Tigers SGT

Boost Defenders BDS

Upcoming – t20 – Trinidad and Tobago
USA Women U19 tour of West Indies, 2025
29 Jul 2025, 07:30 PM IST
West Indies Women U19 WIU19-W

United States Of America Women U19 USAU19-W

Upcoming – t20 – Trinidad and Tobago
USA Women U19 tour of West Indies, 2025
30 Jul 2025, 07:30 PM IST
West Indies Women U19 WIU19-W

United States Of America Women U19 USAU19-W

Upcoming – oneday – Birmingham
Women’s One Day Cup, 2025
30 Jul 2025, 03:00 PM IST
 Birmingham Bears Women BRB-W

Surrey Women SUR-W

Upcoming – t20 – Leicester
World Championship of Legends, 2025
29 Jul 2025, 05:00 PM IST
Australia Champions AAC

Pakistan Champions PNC

Upcoming – t20 – Leicester
World Championship of Legends, 2025
29 Jul 2025, 09:00 PM IST
India Champions IAC

West Indies Champions WIC

England Top Order Needs A Rejig After Failure in Edgbaston Test 

On a pitch where India batters thrived, England’s top order was utterly disappointing. This was a surface where the new ball phase was the only time bowlers had any help. Getting through that period without losing too many wickets was a key. But while India’s top three scored 239 runs in the match, the English top three managed just 68 runs. 

Zak Crawley has been a major issue at the top. Among those with 3,000 runs in Test cricket, no other batter has a worse average than Crawley’s 31.11. Ollie Pope scored a century in the first innings at Headingley but followed it up with 8, 0, and 25. England needs to rejig their top order somehow. Jacob Bethell should get a chance at Lord’s. 

Joe Root’s Form Becoming A Concern for England

Joe Root is the greatest England batter of all time. And he has been a prolific run-scorer in the Bazball era. But he has managed only 109 runs in this series with one fifty. The home side needed him out there in the fourth innings of the Edgbaston Test but he fell to a peach of a delivery by Akash Deep. 

Root has an exceptional record against India, with 2,955 runs at an average of 56.82. They would hope Root can regain his form in the Lord’s Test. 

ALSO READ: 

Bowling Attack Revamp 

As mentioned above, the new ball was the only period where bowlers looked threatening in the Edgbaston Test. However, the difference between the two teams’ pacers was colossal. India’s Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj made the ball talk and ripped apart England’s top order in both innings. On the other hand, England seamers looked clueless barring Chris Woakes’ new-ball spell in the first innings.

The third Test will see a complete revamp of the bowling unit, with Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, and Sam Cook expected to come in. England should go one step further and drop the off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, who has eight wickets in the series at 59.50 apiece. Most of those wickets have come when batters have thrown caution to the wind. Numbers like these beg the question – do they need to play a spinner for the sake of it? Ideally, England should go with an all-pace attack for the rest of the series.

Can Ben Stokes ‘The Batter’ Step Up?

There is a saying, ‘Ben Stokes is a player of big moments.’ But he hasn’t had a big moment in two years. His last century was at Lord’s in the 2023 Ashes, when he hit 155 while chasing 371, albeit they lost by 43 runs. Since then, he has averaged just 28.58 with seven half-centuries and no triple-digit score. His game against spin is even worse as he is averaging just around 18 since last year. 

There is no doubt that Stokes is an important player in this line-up as an all-rounder. When fit, his bowling is vital for the team. Stokes, along with Brendon McCullum, has revolutionised English Test cricket. But his captaincy cannot hide this glaring issue. Stokes needs to step up with the bat sooner. 

The third Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy will take place at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground from July 10.

For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.