Cricket at Edgbaston: Top 5 individual Test batting performances from the venue

When one thinks of cricket venues in England, Lord's is probably what will come to mind first. However, England also boasts of other several world-class cricketing facilities, one of which is the Edgbaston Cricket Ground at Birmingham.

Established in 1882, the venue is one of the oldest in England, and also features among the most used international stadiums in the country. Also known as the County Ground, Edgbaston was the first English ground outside Lord's to host a major international ODI tournament final when it hosted the ICC Champions Trophy final between India and England in 2013. With permanent seating for approximately 25,000 spectators, it is the fourth-largest cricketing venue in the UK.

History was made in the stadium exactly a year ago, as the first day/night Test match was played under lights. England played West Indies in the game. The venue is about to see the onset of another historic series as England will play hosts to India in a five-match Test series starting August 1, 2018. The first game will be played here.

Building up to the monumental series, let us take a look back into history and find out some amazing individual Test batting performances that have taken place at Edgbaston.

#1. Alastair Cook 294 for England vs India, 10th August 2011, and

#2. Alastair Cook 243 for England vs West Indies 17th August 2017.

Oozing with class

It happened during the 3rd Test of the tour. India, batting first, made a measly 224, unable to cope with the wild pace of Stuart Broad and a surprise attack from Tim Bresnan, who took four wickets each. In reply, Cook gave his Indian counterparts a fantastic batting lesson as he dropped anchor at the crease, faced 545 balls in 773 minutes(12 hours and 53 minutes!), smashed 33 fours and notched up a memorable 294. He eventually fell to Ishant Sharma, as Raina completed the catch, dismissing the then-captain at point, agonizingly short of a well-deserved triple-ton.

If there is someone who has never failed to trouble Indian bowlers in modern red-ball cricket, it has to be Alastair Cook. He has amassed 2104 runs in 24 Matches at an average of just above 50 against the Indians, making him the English top-scorer in the format against the same opposition. And as India will face him again in a matter of few days, these numbers are bound to become bigger.

Incidentally, Cook has also recorded the highest ever individual Test innings score of Edgbaston, against - wait for it - India again. The supremely skilled southpaw was at his best as India toured England in 2011, thrashing the bowlers to all corners as they stood helplessly.

Riding on what Cook "cooked", England made 710/7 decl., and licked the Indian lineup clean by an innings and 242 runs, dismantling them for a score of 244 in the second innings. Cook was rightly adjudged man-of-the-match.

Cook most recently featured in an Edgbaston Test match almost a year ago, and this time he scored 243 off 407 balls against the touring Windies opposition, including 33 fours, playing a dominant role in England's eventual innings victory. All that the Windies to manage in return to England's 514/8 decl. were 168 and 137.

The following conditions come together a few days later (again): Alastair Cook, The month of August and a Test match at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground. It has only spelled trouble for opponents (especially India) in the past. Let us wait and see what happens this time.

#3. Graeme Smith 277 for South Africa vs England, 24th July 2003.

The Protean Revolutionary

In the history of drawn or lost matches for England at the Edgbaston, one that will come to the mind of any avid cricket lover is the game where the South Africans forced England to play out a draw, and it was the first Test of the South African tour of England and Ireland in 2003. For all the history Edgbaston boasts, one thing that makes visitors hate the place is the tremendous support it has offered to the hosts over time. Be it the pitch, be it the spectators - the venue has always favoured the hosts, as a result of which they have rarely lost a match or even drawn one.

Graeme Smith was the captain of the South African side. Thrust into the role at a young age, he had rarely disappointed. South Africa were supposed to bat first, and being opener, Smith was at the crease since minute 1 of Day 1, and he played one of the most glorious Test innings ever.

Six hours and thirteen minutes later, when he finally gave way to an Ashley Giles delivery, Smith's individual score read 277 off 373 balls, an innings that comprised 35 fours. Ridings on his innings, the Proteas posted 594/5 decl. and then bowled the English out for 408. They then added another 134 runs before declaring, posing a target of 321 for the English. The match ended in a draw. Smith was declared man-of-the-match.

#4. Zaheer Abbas 274 for Pakistan vs England, 3rd June 1971.

The Pak stalwart

Pakistan scored 608/7 decl. and bowled England out for 353, also reducing them to 229/5 on follow-on, by when the time had got over. What could have been a sure-shot defeat was avoided, and the hosts England managed to escape with a draw. Another prime example of where an opponent batsman bossed over the English bowlers, this was way back in 1971. Pakistan was touring the English lands, and they first locked horns at this historic venue.

Winning the toss and batting first, the first wicket fell at 68 and in walked Abbas. The rest of the day and the first session in the next day belonged to him as he amassed 274 runs off 407 balls, including 38 balls. He eventually got dismissed by getting caught by Luckhurst off an Illingworth delivery.

#5. David Gower 215 for England vs Australia, 15th August 1985.

David Gower

As the English hosted Australia in 1985, everyone expected an equal competition. They were not disappointed as the scoreline read 1 - 1 as they walked into the fifth Test match of the series at Edgbaston, Birmingham.

Winning the toss, England put Australia in to bat first, and the Aussies responded with a respectable 335. But the best was yet to come, as the English batsmen took to the crease. At 38/1, when David Gower walked in, it looked like England could make or break the game from there. As Gower partnered Robinson, England went on to put 595 on board, thanks to Robinson's ton and Gower's double ton.

Gower stood at the crease for a total of seven hours and 32 minutes, took 343 balls, smashed twenty-five fours and a six and collected 215 runs, summing up a very effective knock that threatened to blow the match away in England's favour.

Had Australia not succumbed to the England bowlers for a pathetic 134, the win would have been at least a little more difficult. England thus completed yet another famous win at their beloved stadium, effectively on the shoulders of a single batsman. David Gower was also adjudged man-of-the-match.