Rain has returned to Birmingham on the brink of what has been a remarkable second Test between India and England. The UK Met Office could be fairly accurate so far, and it has described some showers until around 11 AM, before the chance drops off from then on. This has sparked talk about England batter Harry Brook’s cheeky banter with Shubman Gill, where he hinted rain would spoil India’s chances of winning. While Brook might have just been playing mind games, he clearly knew rain was in the forecast.

Despite the showers, it's not all bad news for India. The rain overnight between days four and five has carried into the morning, and BBC Weather has forecast a 90% chance of rain at 9 AM—an hour before play is scheduled to begin. This could be a difficult morning for the Edgbaston ground staff, who will be working under pressure to prepare the field for play. The chances of rain decrease to 65% at 10 AM and fall even further to less than 45% during the rest of the day, reducing overs and increasing pressure for India to bowl out England in the time remaining.

Each over lost will hurt India’s chances of winning and help England inch closer to a draw. But if the forecast holds, the afternoon and evening sessions look promising for cricket, and India could still push for a famous win.

Clearer Weather Expected in the Final Session

The forecast shows only a 20% chance of rain by 2 PM, which means the last four hours of play should go on without much interruption. That gives India a real opportunity to take the remaining seven English wickets and level the series 1–1. With the pitch offering assistance and three wickets already down, India will be hopeful of making the most of the time they get.

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Cloud cover, cooler temperatures, and helpful wind conditions are likely to work in India's favor. They’ll also be eyeing the second new ball, which proved crucial in the first innings. However, they’ll need to wait another 64 overs before it becomes available—a key factor if time becomes a challenge.