'Huge' India support set for Edgbaston test match

Jonathan Agnew said there would be a "fantastic atmosphere" at the match

Cricket fans are set for a big week in Birmingham, with the second Test of the England-India series taking place at Edgbaston from Wednesday.

England have a 1-0 lead in the five-match series after they won by five wickets at Headingley last week.

The BBC's chief cricket commentator Jonathan Agnew said Edgbaston would have a "crazy" atmosphere, adding: "Indian support will be huge."

He said India's supporters would be gathering around the Birmingham cricket ground in anticipation, adding: "It's a fantastic atmosphere."

'Real party atmosphere'

"What I love about cricket and the crowds and the spectators are they're virtually always very good-natured," he said. "There is banter, there's fun, there's humour.

"It's that sort of game where people can go along, and you're not separated off, you're not cordoned off.

"People sit together, they support the team they want."

Agnew said it would be a "really special" occasion.

He said the Eric Hollies Stand would be full of people in fancy dress probably on the third day, which had become a tradition.

"That's the very noisy stand," he said. "It's become a real party atmosphere in there."

Indian supporters will be gathering at the ground for the second Test

This week will see Jofra Archer in a first Test appearance in more than four years after being named in England's 15-man squad.

He is the only addition to an otherwise unchanged squad after England's win last week, which Agnew said was "a fantastic victory".

"I think they've played some very exciting cricket over the last three years since Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum got together," he said, "but it's always been slightly on a knife-edge.

"There have been some victories along the way. There have also been some terrible defeats where England has fallen in a bit of a heap, but this was a very measured, calm, rather a new approach, to be honest, and it was very, very encouraging to see."

The following Tests will take place at Lord's, from 10 to 14 July, Old Trafford, from 23 to 27 July, and the Oval, from 31 July to 4 August.