India lost the Headingley Test by five wickets after failing to defend a target of 371. But with one day left in the second Test at Edgbaston, they have a golden opportunity to bounce back and level the five-match series.
England, chasing a daunting 608, still need 536 runs with only seven wickets in hand. India, on the other hand, need just those seven wickets to seal victory.

Shubman Gill has been the standout performer, leading from the front with 430 runs in the match—scoring a massive 269 in the first innings and following it up with 161 in the second. Mohammed Siraj starred with the ball, taking six wickets in the first innings and removing Zak Crawley for a duck in the second.

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Akash Deep, stepping in for Jasprit Bumrah, has impressed as well. After a four-wicket haul in the first innings, he dismissed Ben Duckett and Joe Root to leave England struggling. At stumps, England were 72 for three after 16 overs, and India now find themselves firmly in control.

But the big question remains: Can India finish the job? Can they head to Lord’s with the series level at 1-1?
For that to happen, they’ll need to achieve something they’ve never done before—win a Test match while defending a target of 600 or more.

India chasing minor history

India’s 608-run target in the current Test marks only the second time they’ve set a target of 600 or more in Test cricket. The previous instance was in 2009 against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, where India set a target of 617. That match ended in a draw, with the Black Caps—led by Daniel Vettori—finishing at 281 for eight.
Gautam Gambhir, now India’s head coach, was named Player of the Match for his second-innings knock of 167. However, his efforts weren’t enough to secure a win.

India have a strong record when defending targets between 500 and 600, having won nine out of 10 such Tests. That stat should offer some reassurance to the team. However, at Edgbaston, they’ll need to go one step further – India must make history to come out on top, as they’ve never won a Test while defending a target of 600 or more.

Not so healthy for England

England’s track record when chasing targets of 600 or more is far from encouraging. Of the 10 instances they’ve faced such a challenge, they’ve ended up on the losing side nine times. On home soil, they’ve lost twice—once while chasing 708 against Australia at the Kennington Oval in 1934, and again in 1950 against the West Indies.

The only time England managed to salvage a draw while chasing a 600+ target was back in March 1939, against South Africa at Kingsmead in Durban. If they manage to draw the Edgbaston Test, it would mark the first time in 86 years that England have avoided defeat after being set a target of 600 or more in Test cricket.

Here are the instances of England chasing 600 plus

• England lost to Australia at The Oval, Aug 1934 (Target – 708)
• England drew with South Africa at Durban, Mar 1939 (Target – 696)
• England lost to Australia at Melbourne, Jan 1937 (Target – 689)
• England lost to Australia at Sydney, Dec 1920 (Target – 659)
• England lost to New Zealand at Hamilton, Dec 2024 (Target – 658)
• England lost to Australia at Brisbane, Nov 2006 (Target – 648)
• England lost to West Indies at Bridgetown, Jan 2019 (Target – 628)
• England lost to West Indies at Georgetown, Feb 1930 (Target – 617)
• England lost to Australia at Sydney, Dec 1924 (Target – 605)
• England lost to West Indies at Lord’s, Jun 1950 (Target – 601)

– Ends