TimesofIndia.com in Birmingham: Star pacer Jasprit Bumrah returned to training on Saturday as Team India’s second day of preparations for the Edgbaston Test shifted the spotlight firmly onto bowling. After skipping Friday’s opening session, Bumrah’s presence in the nets drew keen attention, especially with doubts still lingering over his availability for the second Test against England.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Trailing 0-1 in the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy after a five-wicket defeat at Headingley, India hit the ground running on Friday. While the full squad turned up for practice, Bumrah and fellow pacer Prasidh Krishna stayed away from active drills, sparking speculation about their readiness for the Birmingham Test.Saturday, however, offered a much-needed boost to India’s pace arsenal. Bumrah, Prasidh, and Mohammed Siraj all bowled at the nets, with Siraj following up on his batting work from Day 1. Their return to bowling brought renewed intensity to India’s preparations, as the team looks to bounce back in Birmingham.
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Among the batters, Sai Sudharsan – the debutant from the Headingley Test – was the first to take guard in the nets on Day 2. Notably absent from Saturday’s training were skipper Shubman Gill, vice-captain Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. All four had batted extensively on Friday, with Gill and Pant spending long stints in the nets.
While Bumrah’s return is a positive sign, his inclusion in the Edgbaston XI remains uncertain. The 31-year-old bowled 44 taxing overs in the series opener and is slated to feature in only three of the five Tests as part of a workload management strategy. Head coach Gautam Gambhir, after the Headingley loss, reiterated that the decision on Bumrah’s participation will be made on a match-to-match basis, regardless of the series scoreline.With bowling now at the heart of India’s practice, the team will hope their spearheads are battle-ready as they eye a series-levelling win at Edgbaston.
