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Sports Mole previews the second match of the Test series between England and India at Edgbaston, including predictions and team news.

Following an impressive victory at Headingley, England will be hoping to take a 2-0 lead in their ongoing series against India when they head to Edgbaston this week for the second Test.

There is a chance of rain before the 11:00 start on July 2, but improving conditions are expected to allow mostly uninterrupted play in Birmingham over the coming week.

Match preview

India would have been bitterly disappointed and perhaps somewhat bewildered by how they lost their opening match of the series at Headingley, having dominated proceedings for the majority of the five-day contest.Â

No team had ever lost a Test match after scoring five individual centuries, until Shubman Gill’s side did in Leeds, where tons from the captain, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and a pair from the irrepressible Rishabh Pant proved futile.

A major contributing factor to the defeat was India dropping five catches during England’s first innings – the most the team has grassed in five years – including key misses that allowed Ollie Pope (from 60 to 106), Ben Duckett (15 to 62) and Harry Brook (58 to 99) to go on to post significant scores.

Another factor behind Indiaâ€s defeat was a batting collapse, as they lost seven wickets for 41 after Gill fell to Shoaib Bashir in the first inning, and that pattern was repeated in the second innings, when the side crumbled from 334/4 to 364 all out after Brydon Carse bowled KL Rahul.

Given the result in the first match, India now also face a conundrum around Jasprit Bumrahâ€s workload management, as the worldâ€s top-ranked fast bowler, who claimed five wickets in the first innings at Leeds, intends to play only three of the five Tests, which could leave the attack signifincantly less threatening in his absence in Birmingham.Â

Meanwhile, starting day five of the first Test at 21/0, England steadily got to 117/0 by lunch, maintaining a measured scoring rate of four runs per over while successfully negotiating their main threats, Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

Englandâ€s Bazball made its first true impression right here at Edgbaston in 2022 when the Three Lions chased down a record 378 against India, and now they return to the same venue to face the same opponents in the second Test of this year’s series.

While Jonny Bairstow was the embodiment of Bazball during its early days at the top of the order, that mantle now seems to belong to Duckett, whose brilliant 149 anchored Englandâ€s largely comfortable chase of 371 – their second-highest in Test history – against India at Headingley last week.

Indiaâ€s rising star, Jaiswal, is the only opener above Duckett in the latest ICC Test batting rankings, and there is certainly a solid case to be made that the English left-hander is currently among the best all-format batters in the game.

Englandâ€s record at Edgbaston will also add to their confidence of going 2-0 up in the series, as they have won 30 of the 56 Test matches played at the venue, while only losing 11 and playing out 15 draws.Â

Team News

Jofra Archer was recalled to the England squad for the second Test against India, but the Three Lions†speedster left the camp over the weekend to attend to a family emergency and has been ruled out for the Edgbaston clash.Â

Ben Stokes has opted to go with an unchanged lineup for this match, with the pace trio of Chris Woakes, â Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue retained, while Bashir will serve as the primary spin option.Â

As mentioned earlier, the main uncertainty heading into this match for India revolves around Bumrahâ€s availability and whether they possess the bowling strength to take 20 wickets in his absence.

In the event that the worldâ€s top fast bowler is unable to feature at Edgbaston, Arshdeep Singh is the most likely to be entrusted with the new ball alongside Siraj following another impressive performance at the Indian Premier League this year.Â

Pant will be hoping to accomplish a significant feat in this match, as his back-to-back centuries at Headingley saw him move to joint-third for the most tons by an Indian batter against England, now level on five with Virat Kohli, one behind former India skipper Mohammed Azharuddin and two off the legendary duo of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid on seven apiece.Â

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England squad: Ben Stokes (C), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes

India squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav

Series so far

Test 1 of 3: England won by five wickets

India – 471 & 364

England – 465 & 373/5

We say: England to win

While India’s top order batted extremely well in the first Test, they struggled to contain England with the ball in hand in the second innings, which allowed the home team to romp to victory fairly comfortably in the end.Â

Given that Bumrah is likely to be left out of this match as part of his workload management, India may struggle to make inroads against their opponentâ€s top order, and we feel that the Three Lions will take full advantage en route to a 2-0 series lead.Â

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Sports Mole previews the World Test Championship final clash between South Africa and Australia, including predictions and team news.

On Wednesday, our attention turns to the home of cricket, Lordâ€s, where the ICC World Test Championship final will get underway between South Africa and Australia.Â

The Proteas will be making their debut appearance in the WTC final after finishing third in the previous cycle, while the team from Down Under are the defending champions.Â

Match preview

South Africa booked their spot in this weekâ€s blockbuster final by finishing top of the World Test Championship standings, while riding the momentum of seven consecutive victories in the longest format of the game.Â

The Proteas got their WTC cycle off to a poor start, drawing at home to India and losing 2-0 to New Zealand, but they then rediscovered their rhythm, securing series victories over the West Indies, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.Â

Despite finishing top of the standings, though, South Africa enter the final as underdogs, with many arguing that they benefited from a favourable schedule, having avoided the likes of Australia and England en route to the Lordâ€s showpiece.Â

Temba Bavumaâ€s side took on Zimbabwe in preparation for this match, with Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, and the skipper himself all notching up half-centuries, while Kagiso Rabada looked in great shape, bowling with genuine pace and aggression.Â

For South Africa, the WTC final is about more than just winning the coveted Championship Mace or pocketing the whopping $3.6m in prize money – it is an opportunity to end their long-standing drought in menâ€s ICC events, as they have not tasted success since the ICC Knockout Trophy back in 1998.Â

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Meanwhile, the reigning WTC champions, Australia, arrive at the home of cricket to defend the title they won against India in 2023, and remain a formidable side with their core largely unchanged two years later.

Led by Pat Cummins, the Aussies clinched an impressive 3-1 series victory over India in the Border-Gavaskar trophy earlier this year and were arguably the standout team of the 2023–2025 World Test Championship cycle.

The Baggy Greens won 13 of their 19 Tests during the WTC cycle and remained unbeaten in all six series during that period, during which they faced England, Pakistan, the West Indies, New Zealand, India and Sri Lanka.Â

However, after starting their preparations in Kent, reports in the lead-up to this match claimed that the Aussies suffered a blow in their training plans, as they were denied permission to train at Lordâ€s on Saturday but were allowed access to the ground on Sunday.Â

Australia dominate the head-to-head standings against the Proteas, winning 54 of the 101 matches between the sides, including two victories in the three games played at neutral venues.Â

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Team News

Shukri Conrad will have a few selection decisions to make in his bowling lineup for this match, but one player who is almost guaranteed to feature for the Proteas with the new ball is Kagiso Rabada.Â

The right-arm quick boasts the best bowling average at Lordâ€s among all fast bowlers set to feature in the WTC final, having claimed 13 wickets at 19.38 across two Tests at the venue, and with 47 wickets at an average of 19.97 from 10 Tests in the WTC cycle, he currently holds the ICCâ€s number two ranking in the format, edging out both Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.

The imposing figure of left-armer Marco Jansen has broken into the top 10 of the Test bowling rankings in recent times and could pose a serious threat to Australia’s batters with his steep bounce and sharp pace with the new ball.Â

With David Warner now retired, Andrew McDonaldâ€s biggest decision in his batting lineup will be around whether to insert 19-year-old Sam Konstas or the experienced Marnus Labuschagne at the top of the order opposite Usman Khawaja.

Khawaja leads Australiaâ€s run-scoring in the 2023-2025 WTC cycle, amassing 1,422 runs across 19 Tests at an average of 41.82, highlighted by two centuries and six fifties, including a career-best 232 in the innings victory over Sri Lanka at Galle earlier this year.

Another big call will have to be made around who will complete the Aussies’ pace attack between Scott Boland and Hazlewood in support of skipper Cummins and Mitchell Starc.Â

Hazlewood is seen as the favourite to get the nod, having bagged 57 wickets in 13 Tests during the 2023-2025 cycle, while he also led the Royal Challengers Bangaloreâ€s bowling unit in their Indian Premier League triumph last month, notching up 22 wickets in 12 games.Â

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South Africa squad: Temba Bavuma (c), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster

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We say: Australia to win

While South Africa ended the 2023-2025 WTC cycle top of the standings, there were question marks around their campaign schedule, during which they sidestepped two of the ‘big three†en route to the final.Â

The last time the Proteas and the Aussies met in the longest format, the team from Down Under emerged victorious with a 2-0 series win, and we feel they will retain their WTC title at Lordâ€s this week.Â

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Sports Mole previews the first 2025 T20 match between England and the West Indies, scheduled to be played at the Riverside Ground on Friday.

With the ODI series wrapped up, England and the West Indies will now face off in the first of the three T20 internationals at the Riverside Ground on Friday evening.

The visitors will be looking to turn their fortunes around in this series after the hosts produced a commanding performance in the 50-over format, securing a 3-0 whitewash.

Match preview

© Imago

England completed their 3-0 ODI series whitewash over the West Indies in midweek with a seven-wicket victory chasing a target of 246 after a rain delay caused the match to be reduced the match to 40 overs.

Jamie Smith led the charge with an explosive 64 from just 28 deliveries, while an unbroken 46-run stand between captain Harry Brook (26*) and former skipper Jos Buttler (41*) got the Three Lions over the line with 10 overs and two balls to spare.

The hosts reached 100 runs in just eight overs, marking the joint-fourth fastest that any men’s side has reached three figures, while Ben Duckett and Player of the Series Joe Root also made important contributions of 58 and 44 runs, respectively.

While England’s dominance in the final ODI was certainly impressive, a cause for greater satisfaction was their resilience in the second match, when they pulled off a three-wicket victory despite a far-from-perfect performance.

England will head into the T20 series with all the momentum, but they have not fared well against the Windies in the shortest format, winning just three of their last seven matches against the Men in Maroon on home soil.

© Imago

Meanwhile, the 3-0 defeat which followed a 1-1 tie against Ireland last month has left the West Indies uncomfortably placed alongside Bangladesh in the race for automatic World Cup qualification.

However, despite the margin of defeat on Wednesday, there were a few positives that the West Indies would have taken from the match, most notably, the performance of Sherfane Rutherford, who scored 70 off just 71 deliveries in what was his first match of the series.

Young Keacy Carty is another who has shown glimpses of brilliance during this tour, having notched up a century in the second ODI, while Gudakesh Motie has been the spearhead of the middle-order with his aggressive batting.

The visitors are widely expected to be much more competitive in the T20 leg of this series, which is the first for newly appointed T20 captain Shai Hope, as they will be bolstered by the return of several key players who missed the ODI series.

Team News

© Imago

Liam Dawson is set to play his first T20I for the Three Lions in almost three years this week, while Phil Salt is expected to make the starting lineup after helping the Royal Challengers Bangalore win their maiden Indian Premier League title earlier in the week.

Adil Rashid, who is the most successful bowler against West Indies in T20I history with 36 wickets at an economy of 6.05, will be looking to carry his solid ODI form into this series, while Buttler was in excellent nick at the IPL, where he scored 538 runs at a strike rate of 163.03.

The West Indies will be bolstered by the return of Jason Holder, who last played for the national team in a T20 in February 2024, and was one of the standout bowlers for Islamabad United at the 2025 Pakistan Super League.

Additionally, Andre Russell returns to the squad after injuring himself in the opening match of last year’s series against England in Barbados, though he did play every match in the IPL for the Kolkata Knight Riders this season.

England squad: Harry Brook, Rehan Ahmed, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Luke Wood.

West Indies squad: Shai Hope, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd.

© PA Photos

We say: England to win

We are expecting a much more closely contested T20 series over the coming week, but given the momentum the hosts gained from their ODI triumph, we feel they will get off to a winning start in this match.

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Sports Mole previews the second 2025 One Day International match between England and the West Indies, scheduled to be played at the Sophia Gardens Cricket Ground on Sunday.

The three-match ODI series between England and the West Indies heads to the Sophia Gardens Cricket Ground in Cardiff for game two on Sunday morning.

There is a very slight chance of rain in Wales for this weekend’s match, though overcast conditions are expected, which could favour pace bowling early on.

Match preview

© Imago

Harry Brook enjoyed a triumphant debut as England’s full-time white-ball captain, as he led his team to a dominant 238-run victory over the West Indies in the opening one-day international at Edgbaston on Thursday.

The Three Lions posted a massive target of 400/8 after being put in to bat by the Windies, and that total marked the sixth time they have surpassed the 400-run mark in a one-day international.

Additionally, it was their highest ODI score in three years and their best against a Test-playing nation since clinching the World Cup in 2019, while it also brought an end to their seven-match ODI losing streak.

Perhaps the most notable stat, though, was that it was England’s highest total in any ODI without a century being scored by their batsmen, but Jacob Bethell (82), Ben Duckett (60), Brook (58) and Joe Root (57) all posted half-centuries.

With the ball, Saqib Mahmood stood out for the hosts, claiming three key top-order wickets to finish with figures of 3 for 32, and his efforts helped England dismiss the West Indies for just 162 in the 27th over, sealing their second-largest victory in ODI history by runs – surpassed only by their 242-run thrashing of Australia in Nottingham in 2018.

© Imago

Meanwhile, after a questionable performance in the series against Ireland, which included a shocking 124-run defeat in their first game, the West Indies’ performance in Edgbaston did nothing to improve the outlook around their chances of qualifying for the World Cup next year.

It was a punishing day with the ball for the West Indies, as England’s batters dominated from the start, and while Jayden Seales managed to take four wickets, he also proved costly, leaking 84 runs in his nine overs.

Chasing the mammoth target, the Windies’ top-order were unable to handle Mahmood and crumbled to 79/5 in the 15th over, with Brandon King, Justin Greaves and youngster Jewel Andrew dismissed for a combined 22 runs.

Only three West Indian batsmen surpassed 20 runs on Thursday, with Seales, batting last, ending as the visitors’ top scorer on 29, which made him just the seventh No.11 to top-score in an ODI innings.

Team News

© Imago

Veteran leg-spinner Adil Rashid marked his 150th ODI appearance with a two-wicket haul at Edgbaston and sealed the victory for England by bowling tailender Alzarri Joseph to wrap up the match.

While most of the headlines were hogged by England’s top-order, Will Jacks deserves a mention, as he continued his impressive form from the Indian Premier League and produced a solid 39 off just 24 deliveries batting at number seven.

Aside from Seales, Keacy Carty and skipper Shai Hope were the only other West Indian batsmen to post scores over 20 runs, and if the visitors are to have a chance of levelling the series, they will need much more from those two on Sunday.

Alzarri Joseph and Justin Greaves finished with respectable figures of 2/69 and 2/68 in 10 overs, respectively, while Matthew Forde will need to find major improvement with the new ball, having gone for 88 runs in eight overs and ending wicketless.

England squad: Harry Brook (c), Luke Wood, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jamie Smith

West Indies squad: Shai Hope (c), Jewel Andrew, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Amir Jangoo, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Motie, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd

Series so far

ODI 1 of 3: England won by 238 runs
England – 400/8 (50)
West Indies – 162 (26.2)

© PA Photos

We say: England to win

Given the margin of defeat and just how poorly they played at Edgbaston, it is difficult to make much of a case for the West Indies to level the series this weekend. Therefore, we feel England will secure the series win by going 2-0 up in this one.

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Sports Mole previews the one-off Test between England and Zimbabwe, scheduled to get underway on Thursday at Trent Bridge in Nottingham.

Test cricket is set to return to Trent Bridge this week, with England playing host to Zimbabwe in a four-day one-off match which gets underway on Thursday.

Almost two years after being invited to play a Test match in England, Zimbabwe have finally managed to make the trip, marking he first time these sides will meet in the longest format of the game since 2003.

Match preview

© Imago

Ben Stokes and his squad are set to embark on an intense and highly competitive summer, with Team India also slated to visit the UK for a five-match Test series, which gets underway on June 20.

While most expect that the Three Lions should have few problems in winning this match, they will be eager to deliver a commanding performance and set the tone early, as they build toward the Ashes in November.

In terms of selection, despite several high-profile batting collapses in recent times, England’s top order remains largely unchanged, with the selectors seemingly prioritising continuity over form, albeit questionably.

That is especially evident with the selection of Zak Crawley, who has not scored a Test ton since 2023 against the Baggy Greens and averaged a mere 8.66 in the team’s last series against New Zealand last year.

As for the head-to-head standings, England and Zimbabwe have faced each other in six Test matches, with the Three Lions winning three and the other three ending in draws – Zimbabwe are still in search of their first Test victory against the Brits.

© Imago

Meanwhile, the visitors are entering their most pivotal year in over a decade, as financial stability has returned to a large extent at the administrative level, resulting in the team looking forward to 11 Tests in 2025 – the joint-most among all 12 ICC full member nations.

Zimbabwe will head into this week’s one-off Test against England following a 138-run loss to a little-known Professional County Club Select XI, having failed to survive the final day in Leicester.

Chasing a target of 392 after the PCC XI declared at 464/7 early on the final day, Zimbabwe quickly stumbled to 51 for 4 just after lunch, with Hampshire’s Eddie Jack dismantling three of the top four.

Zimbabwe, who fielded 13 players in the match, had to settle for a productive four-day workout that featured first-innings half-centuries from opener Brian Bennett and Sean Williams, along with a five-wicket haul from left-arm bowler Newman Nyamhuri.

Although they have won only one of their last 12 Tests (with two draws and nine losses), Zimbabwe’s bowling attack has claimed 70 wickets in matches this year, fueling optimism within the camp for a solid showing this one.

Team News

© Imago

Essex fast bowler Sam Cook, who has taken 10 wickets in his last three County Championship matches this season, is set to make his Test debut for England following his impressive recent form.

Stokes is back from injury for the first time since December 2023 to strengthen the middle order, while Joe Root continues to anchor the England batting lineup as its cornerstone.

However, the Three Lions have been handed a few setbacks in the lead-up to this match, especially in the bowling department, with Mark Wood, Olly Stone and Brydon Carse out injured, while Jofra Archer is still away at the IPL.

While the match against the PCC XI was a bit of a disappointment for Zimbabwe, from a batting standpoint, there were several positives, with Brian Bennett, Sean Williams, Wessly Madhevere, Tafadzwa Tsiga and Nick Welch each registering at least one half-century during the match.

Adding to the visitors’ Test experience under the leadership of 39-year-old captain Craig Ervine is Sikandar Raza, who departed the Pakistan Super League on Monday to fly to Nottingham for only his second Test match of 2025.

England squad: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Jamie Smith, Ollie Pope, James Rew, Shoaib Bashir, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Samuel James Cook, Josh Tongue

Zimbabwe squad: Craig Ervine, Ben Curran, Nick Welch, Brian Bennett, Wessly Madhevere, Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams, Clive Madande, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Richard Ngarava, Trevor Gwandu, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Newman Nyamhuri, Victor Nyauchi

© PA Photos

We say: England to win

While England have not been at their best in the longest format in recent times, winning two of their last five Tests, we feel they will be too strong for the visitors in this match, and should secure a fairly straightforward victory.

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