ENG vs IND 2025: 'Shubman reminded me of the previous Indian number four' - Jonathan Trott, Varun Aaron extol Indian skipper after Edgbaston heroics
Former India pacer Varun Aaron was critical of the England bowlers after they failed to make an impact in the ongoing second Test in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Edgbaston, Birmingham. India scored 587 in the first innings and declared at 427/6 in the second as captain Shubman Gill aggregated 430 runs in his two outings with the bat.
Aaron noted that Chris Woakes lacked the pace that was needed on the Edgbaston surface. On the other hand, the cricketer-turned-expert felt that the likes of Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue have bowled too short. Aaron also mentioned how Ben Stokes failed to carry his stunning bowling form from the first Test into Birmingham.
“A bowler like Chris Woakes is really lacking pace. On a wicket like this, you need pace and line. He’s a very good bowler, no doubt, but he's coming back from an injury and may not be bowling at his peak pace. Even though he's hitting good areas, there's just not enough behind it. Most of the English bowlers are hit-the-deck bowlers, which suits this wicket to an extent — but they’ve bowled far too short. In the first Test, Stokes bowled really well, but this time around, he hasn’t been as effective. So, if you look at the top three English bowlers, they just don't seem suited to these conditions," JioHotstar expert Aaron said while speaking on ‘Match Centre Live’.
Meanwhile, Aaron praised Indian seamers Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep, who have accounted for seven and six wickets, respectively, so far in the second Test.
"On the other hand, Indian bowlers like Siraj and Akash Deep have been bowling at a healthy pace — consistently hitting the 140s — and have attacked the stumps throughout. Every time they’ve gone for the stumps, something has happened. They’ve hit the seam hard and used the crease really well. It’s five very different bowlers operating in very different ways," he added.
Talking about Bengal seamer Deep, who is playing his first international game in England, Aaron spoke about the hardships he had to endure while rising through the ranks.
“Akash Deep hasn’t had an easy journey. He’s from Bihar and had to try for different states because the Bihar Cricket Association has had its struggles. He eventually moved to Bengal — as an outsider — and had to earn his place among locals. He made a name for himself there. Coming from a small town in Bihar and performing like this for India in England, it obviously means the world to him. His celebration said it all — it was his way of saying, ‘I’m here to stay.’" Aaron opined.
Aaron also applauded Shubman's batting performance as he slammed a double century (269) in the first innings and followed it up with a 161-run knock off 162 balls in the second.
“Shubman just can’t seem to put a foot wrong, and I hope this form continues for as long as possible. But it hasn’t happened by chance. He’s put in a lot of hard work — even during the IPL — to improve as a red-ball player. He’s tweaked his tactics, changed his technique a bit, and you can see the results. When someone as talented as Shubman Gill puts in the hard yards, he steps into that ‘legend’ territory," Aaron noted.
Meanwhile, former England cricketer Jonathan Trott was in awe of Shubman's talent, and he likened him to India's previous No. 4 batter Virat Kohli.
“I honestly feel privileged to be here and witness that innings. I can’t recall him giving the English bowlers even a single chance. The way he shifted gears — hitting sixes at will — without slogging, just pure cricket shots, was something special. Today, he showed how complete a batter he is. It reminded me of the previous Indian number four — almost a carbon copy of that genius. I don’t think he could’ve dreamed of a better start to his first two Tests on this tour. Sure, he’d have liked to win at Headingley, but now he’s hopefully set up a fantastic victory here tomorrow," Trott said.
England need to score an improbable tally of 536 runs on the final day of the Edgbaston Test with seven wickets left to play with.