Ex-England pacer claims Edgbaston dimensions altered to aid Bazball: 'I stood right by the boundary rope...'

England captain Ben Stokes (AP Photo)

The boundary length at Edgbaston, Birmingham, where the second Test between India and England in underway, has grabbed significant attention after it was pointed that the ground dimensions have been altered. Ex-England cricketers Steven Finn and David Lloyd highlighted the change in dimensions, with the former even claiming that the length was reduced to aid England's Bazball style of play.

Finn, who made 36 Test appearances between 2010 and 2016, said shorter boundaries were implemented to support Ben Stokes and Co.'s inclination towards chasing in the fourth innings. “So we’re here at Edgbaston. I stood right by the boundary rope, which is a considerable way in from where you may anticipate for a normal Test match," Finn said on BBC. “England and their propensity to want to win the toss, bowl first and chase in the last innings maybe the reason why those boundaries have come so far in."

Why are the boundaries at Edgbaston so short for this Test?@finnysteve has a Bazball-related explanation #ENGvIND #BBCCricket pic.twitter.com/IdMr2vN0ln

Story continues below Advertisement

Remove Ad

— Test Match Special (@bbctms) July 2, 2025

Meanwhile, David Lloyd, a former all-rounder, expressed that it could have been done to maintain distance from the advertising boards. “I was confused by how far in the boundary ropes were. I think it has something to do with having them not too close to the advertising boards," he wrote in his column for the Daily Mail.

Also Read | Shubman Gill's mammoth effort at Edgabston helps him dethrone legends Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar

As per the official ICC playing conditions: “The aim shall be to maximize the size of the playing area at each venue. With respect to the size of the boundaries, no boundary shall be longer than 90 yards (82.29 meters), and no boundary should be shorter than 65 yards (59.43 metres) from the centre of the pitch to be used."

England "Bazballed" India and chased down 371 on the final day to win the match by five wickets in Leeds. It was their second-highest successful chase in Test history after 378, which was also accomplished against India at Edgbaston in the postponed fifth Test in 2022.