England won the Test Match against India by 31 Runs
In the first Test match, India came very close to pulling off a historic win. It was a tense and thrilling game where they needed just 84 runs with 5 wickets in hand, but things didn’t go their way. Still, it remains one of the most gripping matches of the series. Let’s take a look back.
The first Test match of India’s 2018 tour of England, held at Edgbaston, Birmingham from August 1 to 4, was a gripping battle that saw England scrape a 31-run victory. Each of the four innings told its own story of resilience, brilliance, and collapse.
England, after winning the toss, opted to bat on a pitch with some help for bowlers. Alastair Cook started steadily but fell for 13 off 28 balls, bowled by Ravichandran Ashwin’s sharp turn in the 9th over. Keaton Jennings, playing with caution, scored 42 off 98 balls, hitting four boundaries. He partnered with Joe Root, who played a captain’s knock of 80 off 156 balls, laced with nine fours. Their 72-run stand for the second wicket gave England a solid platform, but Root’s run-out in the 63rd over, thanks to Virat Kohli’s quick thinking, tilted the momentum.
Dawid Malan’s brief 8 off 14 balls ended with an lbw to Mohammed Shami, and England wobbled at 112/3. Jonny Bairstow counter-attacked, smashing 70 off 88 balls with nine fours, pushing England past 200. His dismissal by Umesh Yadav in the 66th over sparked a slide. Jos Buttler scored a two-ball duck, lbw to Ashwin, and Ben Stokes made 21 off 41 balls before falling to the same bowler.
At 243/7, England relied on young Sam Curran, who grafted 24 off 71 balls with three fours. Adil Rashid added 13, but Stuart Broad (1) and James Anderson (2 not out) couldn’t hold on. Shami dismissed Curran to end the innings at 287 in 89.4 overs. Ashwin’s 4/62 was the standout, backed by Shami’s 3/64, Yadav’s 1/56, and Ishant Sharma’s 1/46. England’s 13 extras (9 byes, 4 leg byes) helped, but India’s bowlers kept the total within reach.
India’s reply began under pressure as Sam Curran tore through the top order. Murali Vijay scored 20 off 45 balls before being trapped lbw in the 14th over. KL Rahul lasted two balls, bowled for 4, and Shikhar Dhawan edged Curran to slip for 26 off 46 balls. At 59/3 after 16 overs, India looked shaky. Virat Kohli walked in and played an innings for the ages, scoring 149 off 225 balls with 22 fours and a six. His composure and skill kept India in the fight, dominating England’s attack on a challenging pitch.
Ajinkya Rahane managed 15 off 34 balls but was caught at slip off Ben Stokes. Dinesh Karthik fell for a four-ball duck, bowled by Stokes, leaving India at 100/5. Hardik Pandya battled for 22 off 52 balls, but Curran struck again, trapping him lbw. Ravichandran Ashwin scored a quick 10 off 15 balls, and Mohammed Shami made 2, both falling to James Anderson. Ishant Sharma’s 5 off 17 balls and Umesh Yadav’s 1 not out offered little resistance. Kohli’s epic ended in the 76th over when he edged Adil Rashid to Stuart Broad, leaving India at 274, 13 runs short of England’s total.
Curran led England’s bowling with 4/74 in 17 overs, while Stokes took 2/73 and Anderson 2/41. Rashid’s 2/31 included Kohli’s wicket, and Broad went wicketless for 40 runs. India’s 20 extras (4 byes, 11 leg byes, 4 no-balls, 1 wide) boosted their score, but only Kohli’s brilliance prevented a bigger deficit. The rest of the batting crumbled, highlighting India’s reliance on their captain, yet his knock gave them hope for the chase.
England’s second innings started disastrously. Alastair Cook was bowled by Ashwin for a duck in the 4th over. Keaton Jennings scored 8 off 18 balls before edging Ashwin to KL Rahul, and Joe Root made 14 off 35 balls, caught by Rahul off Ashwin again. At 39/3, England were reeling. Dawid Malan grafted 20 off 64 balls, and Jonny Bairstow hit 28 off 40 balls with five fours, but Ishant Sharma’s fiery spell changed the game. He dismissed Malan, Bairstow, Ben Stokes (6 off 13 balls), and Jos Buttler (1 off 2 balls), leaving England at 87/7 after 31 overs.
Sam Curran, batting at No. 8, played a stunning knock of 63 off 65 balls, smashing nine fours and two sixes. His aggressive approach, paired with Adil Rashid’s 16 off 40 balls, added 48 runs for the eighth wicket, giving England a lifeline. Stuart Broad scored 11 off 28 balls, but Umesh Yadav dismissed Rashid and Curran, and Sharma removed Broad to end the innings at 180 in 53 overs. India needed 194 to win, a chaseable target on a wearing pitch.
Sharma was the star with 5/51 in 13 overs, his pace and accuracy dismantling England’s middle order. Ashwin took 3/59, and Yadav grabbed 2/20, while Mohammed Shami went wicketless for 38 runs. England’s 13 extras (10 byes, 2 leg byes, 1 no-ball) padded their total, but Curran’s knock was crucial in setting a competitive target. Without his contribution, India’s chase could have been far easier, but England’s collapse from 70/3 to 87/7 gave India a real chance to fight back.
Chasing 194, India needed a solid start but faltered early. Stuart Broad dismissed Murali Vijay for 6 off 17 balls and Shikhar Dhawan for 13 off 24 balls, both caught by Jonny Bairstow. KL Rahul scored 13 off 24 balls before Ben Stokes had him caught behind, leaving India at 46/3 after 15 overs. Virat Kohli, as ever, anchored the innings, scoring a gritty 51 off 93 balls with four fours, keeping India’s hopes alive. Ajinkya Rahane managed just 2 off 16 balls, caught by Bairstow off Sam Curran, and Ravichandran Ashwin hit 13 off 15 balls before James Anderson dismissed him.
By the end of day three, India were 110/5, with Kohli and Dinesh Karthik (20 off 50 balls) at the crease, needing 84 runs. Day four brought heartbreak. Anderson removed Karthik, and Stokes struck a massive blow, trapping Kohli lbw in the 47th over. Hardik Pandya fought with 31 off 61 balls, but Stokes dismissed Mohammed Shami (0) and Pandya. Adil Rashid got Ishant Sharma for 11, and India were bowled out for 162 in 54.2 overs, 31 runs short.
Stokes led with 4/40 in 14.2 overs, while Anderson took 2/50 and Broad 2/43. Curran (1/18) and Rashid (1/9) played supporting roles. India’s 2 extras (1 bye, 1 leg bye) reflected England’s tight bowling. Kohli’s 51 and Pandya’s effort gave India a chance, but the early losses and middle-order collapse proved costly. The chase was close, but England’s bowlers held their nerve, making this a thrilling end to a Test match full of twists.