Jasprit Bumrah, recognized as India’s premier fast bowler, is not participating in the second Test match against England at Edgbaston. This decision comes after his outstanding performance in the first Test held from June 20 to 24 at Headingley, where he took five wickets for 83 runs in the first innings.
India’s Test captain, Shubman Gill, confirmed Bumrah’s absence during the toss, stating it was a strategic choice to manage the bowler’s workload ahead of the pivotal third Test at Lord’s, which is expected to offer more favorable conditions for fast bowling. Alongside Bumrah, left-handed batter B Sai Sudharsan and fast-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur are also sitting out. They are replaced by Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy, with Bengal pacer Akash Deep stepping in for Bumrah.
In the context of the match, England’s captain Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bowl first, selecting the same team that featured in the opening Test. This puts pressure on India’s batting lineup, notably with Karun Nair stepping in to bat at No. 3. Nair, who has previously scored a triple century against England, will look to bounce back after a disappointing performance in the first Test.
India has a challenging history at Edgbaston, having never secured a Test win at this venue. The current team will aim to change this narrative under the leadership of Gill, especially after England’s impressive chase in their last encounter at Edgbaston in July 2022.
The playing XIs for the match are as follows:
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir
This match presents an opportunity for India to break their Edgbaston drought, which could be a significant morale booster for the team moving forward in the series.