TimesofIndia.com in Birmingham: On the eve of the second Test at Edgbaston, all eyes are on Jasprit Bumrah — not just for his fiery spells, but for whether he’ll feature at all. India captain Shubman Gill confirmed that Bumrah is available for selection, but remained tight-lipped about the final XI, adding intrigue to an already pivotal encounter. “We will take the Jasprit Bumrah call this evening. We will decide which spinner plays after looking at the pitch,” Gill told reporters on Tuesday. “Jasprit Bumrah is available. We are trying to find the right combination which can pick 20 wickets and score runs as well.” India head into this Test with selection headaches following a frustrating loss in Leeds, where they let a strong position slip and failed to bowl England out in the fourth innings. With Bumrah’s workload management in focus, India could be forced to reshuffle their bowling attack, which Gill acknowledged won’t be easy.
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Will Jasprit Bumrah play in the second Test at Edgbaston?
“It is difficult,” he said. “But we’ve picked the best players from India. It’s not an impossible task — other bowlers are good. We have a strong pool.” The Edgbaston pitch adds complexity to the decision-making. Though it appears green, a dry layer underneath suggests spinners could come into play later in the match. India are considering going in with two spinners, a move they hesitated on in Leeds and may now regret.
“We felt in Leeds that an extra spinner would help contain the flow of runs, especially in the third or fourth innings,” Gill admitted.While India continue to weigh their selection options, England have opted for stability, announcing an unchanged XI for the second Test at Edgbaston. The hosts, buoyed by their dramatic victory in the series opener at Headingley, revealed their playing XI on Monday, sticking with the same lineup that delivered under pressure. Led by Ben Stokes, the side features Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, and Harry Brook in the top order, with Jamie Smith retaining his place. The bowling attack remains the same as well, with Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, and Shoaib Bashir forming a well-rounded unit tailored for English conditions.
