Big decisions backfire and pay off as India draw level with England

Decisions.

A couple of huge ones were made at Edgbaston and they were revealed at the toss. England had elected to bowl and India had elected to rest pace ace Jasprit Bumrah.

As these big calls were digested, the mood music was that India had got theirs wrong. Ravi Shastri was virtually apoplectic at the tourists giving Bumrah a breather despite heading into the game 1-0 down.

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England's choice was more widely accepted.

Yes, bowling first on flat decks is not altogether conventional but it worked at Headingley - Stokes' side successfully chasing 371, after conceding 450-plus in India's first innings, as the pitch failed to deteriorate.

On that occasion, Stokes inserted India, was caned by the media and won. On this occasion, Stokes inserted India, was caned by India's batters and lost.

Test matches, as Stokes was quick to tell us after that glorious Headingley win, should be judged after five days. He's right.

And the judgment after five days in Birmingham was England's big decision backfired and India's richly paid off.

India have in-form Deep and refreshed Bumrah for Lord's

Shubman Gill's men - thanks largely to the skipper's beautiful 269 - piled on close to 600 in their first innings and then - thanks largely to the skipper's beautiful 161 - amassed 427-6 declared in their second.

In both of England's innings, the hosts plummeted to 80(ish)-5, due to a combination of tired minds and bodies, stemming from chasing leather for over after over, and Bumrah's stand-in Akash Deep sizzling with the new ball, unlike his English rivals, en route to a 10-wicket match haul.

Now India head to Lord's for the third Test with Deep, well, deep in the England top order's minds and a refreshed Bumrah - who will presumably replace Prasidh Krishna - raring to go and ready to weave his magic.

It could not really have worked out any better for India. For England, it could not have worked out much worse. It was a horror loss. Win the toss, gubbed by 336 runs. Ouch.

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Stokes' call at the coin flip was understandable.

He thought the pitch, a featherbed for much of the match, would get better for batting and that a Leeds repeat was on. But when it was at its worst, on day five as cracks emerged and it started to aid bowlers, England were batting.

Having already been rocked by Deep's latest new-ball burst the previous night, it looked game over. By tea it was.

India rebound from dispiriting Headingley defeat

Series back level and the momentum that had been built at Headingley handed over to India.

Things could quite easily have run away from the tourists after the Leeds loss - a loss that should, in truth, never have happened.

As superb as England's chase of 371 was, the target would have been more like the 608 they were set at Edgbaston had India not suffered two awful batting collapses and a severe case of Teflon fingers in the field.

Before Edgbaston, they had the problems. Captain under the cosh, the Bumrah issue - he is only going to play three Tests, so which ones? - and how to balance the XI so that it scores enough runs and bags enough wickets.

All of Gill's - or the leadership group's - decisions paid off.

The declaration could potentially have come too late but didn't. All-rounder Washington Sundar seemed a bits-and-pieces pick but the bits and pieces he provided were key - important runs with Gill and the wicket of Stokes on the final day.

Archer to return - and what are England's problems?

And now it is England with the issues.

Can Chris Woakes go again after two Tests in a row - and, if not, who bats at No 8? How concerning are Brydon Carse's toe troubles?

Is Jofra Archer ready for a Test return after just one first-class game in four years? Is Gus Atkinson fully fit after hamstring strife? Can those two play together at Lord's?

Is Ollie Pope having one of those series where he starts well and tapers off ? Why did Zak Crawley tinker with his stance after an excellent second innings at Headingley?

Should we be worried about Stokes' batting slump? And can the skipper keep asking his bowlers to operate first on docile surfaces?

It is knackering stuff, especially when the speed of England's batting innings means those bowlers are soon required to come steaming in again having had minimal rest.

This series is very much alive after a decision that backfired and one that richly paid off.

Watch day one of the third Test between England and India, at Lord's, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 10am Thursday (11am first ball) or stream without a contract.

England vs India - results and schedule

All games at 11am UK and Ireland; all on Sky Sports

• First Test (Headingley) - England won by five wickets
• Second Test (Edgbaston) - India won by 336 runs
• Third Test (Lord's): July 10-14
• Fourth Test (Emirates Old Trafford): July 23-27
• Fifth Test (The Kia Oval): July 31-August 4