No Bumrah, two spinners? India's training session hints at playing XI for 2nd Test

India Today

2 days ago

India's training session at Edgbaston on Monday afternoon provided the clearest indication yet of a reshuffled playing XI for the second Test against England, scheduled to begin on 2 July. The tourists are expected to make at least two changes, with pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah almost certain to miss the match as the team management looks to manage his workload.India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said that the final decision on Bumrah's availability will be taken in the next 24 hours, but it appears increasingly likely that the star pacer will sit out the second Test. Bumrah, who bowled 43.4 overs in the series opener at Headingley, was a peripheral figure at training—sending down only a few deliveries towards the end of the session. He is expected to return for the third Test at Lord's, but his absence in Edgbaston will force India to rejig their pace attack.advertisementMohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna are likely to retain their places after leading the attack in Leeds. The third seamer's slot appears to be a toss-up between Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep. Arshdeep brings a left-arm angle that adds variety, while Akash - impressive on debut during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy - offers sharp seam movement, though he's yet to be fully rewarded for his efforts.
One change that looks all but certain is the replacement of Shardul Thakur, who had a quiet outing in the first Test. The seam-bowling all-rounder bowled just 16 overs and scored only five runs across both innings. He is set to make way for Nitish Kumar Reddy, whose dual skills add greater balance to the side.The surface at Headingley was full of runs, and with hot weather prevailing, Edgbaston is also expected to favour batting early on - before offering more to the spinners as the match wears on.advertisementIndia felt the absence of a second spinner in Leeds, and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate hinted at a shift in strategy for the second Test. With Edgbaston traditionally aiding turn later in the game, the visitors are likely to field two frontline spinners.Ravindra Jadeja remains a near-certain selection if fit. The decision, then, rests between Kuldeep Yadav's attacking wrist spin and Washington Sundar's off-spin and batting depth. Doeschate did not confirm the combination but strongly suggested that two spinners will feature. He also left open the possibility of playing both Jadeja and Sundar as spin-bowling all-rounders.In the field, changes are on the cards too. After dropping four catches in the slip cordon at Headingley - several of them at gully—Yashasvi Jaiswal was moved out of that position. Monday's catching drills saw Karun Nair at first slip, KL Rahul and captain Shubman Gill at second and third, with Reddy and Sai Sudharsan alternating between fourth slip and gully.India trail the five-match series 0-1 following a five-wicket defeat in the opener. With England naming an unchanged XI, the pressure is now on the visitors to respond - not just through personnel changes, but in their execution - if they are to draw level in Birmingham.- EndsYou May Also Like