Ben Stokes Blames Edgbaston Pitch for England's Crushing Defeat Against India; Admits to Being 'Out-Skilled'

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - JULY 06: England batsman Ben Stokes reacts after being dismissed during day five of the Second Test Match between England and India at Edgbaston on July 06, 2025 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

England captain Ben Stokes has pointed to the Edgbaston pitch as a key factor in his team's significant 337-run loss to India in the second Test of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The defeat leveled the five-match series at 1-1. The next Test is scheduled for July 10 at Lord’s.

Speaking to the BBC, Stokes described the pitch's transformation as the match progressed. "To be honest, it probably ended up being more of a subcontinent pitch as we got deeper and deeper into the game," he stated.

He acknowledged the initial advantages for England's bowlers but noted the changing conditions. "There was certainly a little bit in it to start off with. I think we exposed that very, very well early on. But then just as it got deeper and deeper, it became a real tough slog for us."

Stokes highlighted India's expertise in exploiting the conditions. "Obviously with the Indian attack in the conditions they are used to, they knew sort of how to expose those conditions better than us. And that can happen sometimes. It’s nothing to be too disheartened about, you know. We can take being out-skilled.”

During the post-match presentation, Stokes identified critical moments where England faltered. He cited conceding a substantial 180-run lead to India and allowing Indian batsmen, including captain Shubman Gill, to build large scores as turning points.

He elaborated, "Two moments — having them 200-5 and not being able to burst them open after a good start with the ball. And being 80-5. It was going to be tough to scrape it back from there. You look back at 200-5 — if we were able to burst them open quicker, things could have been different."

When questioned about the collective performance of England's bowlers, Stokes responded, “I wouldn’t say it’s a concern. We ran in, we tried everything, we changed plans, but when a team’s on top of you — and India are a class team — it’s hard to change the momentum. Shubman Gill had an unbelievable performance.”