It is always difficult to lose the opening Test of a series, and particularly so for a touring team. Team India, having revealed glimpses of good form with the bat, went terribly wrong in the field and with the bowling. They let England chase 371 runs in the fourth innings, which damaged their cause immensely. Now, the second Test will be staged at Edgbaston in Birmingham, a venue that has never been friendly to India. Edgbaston - A Harsh Venue for Team India The pitch for the Test to be played soon also doesn't seem much different. In a report from Ray Sportz, there is still some grass remaining on the pitch. It might be trimmed down, and a heavy roller could be employed just before the game. The Indian think-tank inspecting the Edgbaston surface… pic.twitter.com/3uw4ckucFm — Sandipan Banerjee (@im_sandipan) June 30, 2025 That translates to bowlers finding some assistance early on, but Edgbaston has turned out to be a more favorable ground for the batters over the years – they must be willing to dig in and fight. But for India, it is not only about the pitch. The larger concern is that they have a poor record at this ground, which may be at the back of captain Shubman Gill's mind and his team's. Also Read | India’s Probable XI for 2nd Test vs ENG: Arshdeep Likely to Miss Out India's Test Records in Birmingham Team 1 Team 2 Winner Margin Venue Date England India England 7 wickets Birmingham Jul 1-5, 2022 England India England 31 runs Birmingham Aug 1-4, 2018 England India England inns & 242 runs Birmingham Aug 10-13, 2011 England India England 8 wickets Birmingham July 6-9, 1996 England India drawn - Birmingham Jul 3-8, 1986 England India England inns & 83 runs Birmingham Jul 12-16, 1979 England India England inns & 78 runs Birmingham Jul 4-8, 1974 England India England 132 runs Birmingham Jul 13-15, 1967 Let's look back at India's recent matches at this venue. In 2022, India sent India in to bat first and scored 416. England answered with 284. India then scored 245 in the second innings, and then England chased down 378 in approximately 75 overs. In 2018, it was a tight game, but India lost by 31 runs. England scored 287, and India answered with 274. England then scored just 180, but India couldn't chase down 193. The 2011 game was one of the most aggrieved losses. Alastair Cook of England scored 294 as England compiled 710 while India had mustered only 224. India followed on and scored 244 in the second innings, losing the game by an innings and 242 runs. Prior to these matches, India had also lost in 1979, 1974, and 1967. Their lone draw was in 1986. Interestingly, India have only managed over 300 runs on two occasions in 16 innings at Edgbaston. It indicates the chalking faced by Indian batters on this ground. Having lost seven times and having one draw, the record at this stadium does not instill much faith. Couple it with the batting collapses at Leeds in recent times, and India might be in serious trouble once more if things do not change.