Australian skipper Pat Cummins couldn’t resist taking a cheeky swipe at the Edgbaston pitch following India’s emphatic 336-run win over England in the second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. India, under the leadership of Shubman Gill, secured a historic victory—breaching Edgbaston for the first time in their Test history and leveling the five-match series 1-1.
While India and England were locked in battle in Birmingham, Cummins and his Australian side were busy securing a 133-run win over the West Indies in Grenada. After the match, Cummins was asked about the India-England series and responded with a hint of sarcasm aimed at the pitch used at Edgbaston.
“Who’d want to be a bowler over there?” Pat Cummins remarked, smiling. “Not surprised to see it was the third flattest wicket in England’s Test history. We’ll definitely keep an eye on that series, but bowling on that surface looked brutal.”
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He compared the lifeless pitch at Edgbaston with the more sporting surface in Grenada, highlighting the contrast between conditions. “Test cricket here and over there look like two completely different sports,” Pat Cummins quipped. “Didn’t watch much, but I caught the scores—looks like it’s shaping up to be a good series at 1-1.”
Meanwhile, England’s head coach Brendon McCullum acknowledged the criticism and confirmed he had already shared feedback with MCC’s head groundsman Karl McDermott. Taking cues from the lively wicket used in the recent ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord’s, McCullum hopes for a more balanced surface in the third Test.
“It’ll be a blockbuster either way,” Brendon McCullum told ESPNcricinfo. “But a bit more life in the pitch would certainly set the stage for a cracker.”
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India and England resume their rivalry in the third Test at Lord’s from July 10, while Australia look to complete a clean sweep in their day-night final Test against the West Indies, beginning July 12 at Sabina Park.
