India might be forced to make a pace attack change as star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is unlikely to feature in the 2nd Test against England at Edgbaston starting July 2, 2025.
The team is keeping a close watch on his workload due to past injury concerns, and while he has not been officially ruled out, his chances of playing remain slim.
Bumrah Rested for Workload Management
Bumrah was instrumental in the first innings of the Leeds Test, grabbing five wickets, but couldn’t add to his tally in the second innings while defending 371 runs. The fast bowler delivered almost 44 overs in the match, and with a packed series schedule, the Indian management is prioritizing his fitness.
According to reports, Bumrah was present at Friday's training session but did not bowl or bat. It was a closed-door session, so there’s no official update on his fitness drills either. Sources suggest that the team had pre-decided to use Bumrah in the 1st and 3rd Tests, and possibly a fourth or fifth depending on the series situation.
Arshdeep & Akash Deep Impress in the Nets
With Bumrah unlikely, pacers Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep could be in line for selection. Both bowlers had long spells in the nets, and Arshdeep in particular focused on bowling with an old ball from around the wicket indicating India may expect reverse swing conditions at Edgbaston.
The Indian squad returned to training on Friday after traveling from Leeds and spent nearly five hours on field, preparing intensely for the second match of the series.
Team Message: Stick to the Process
Even after the defeat at Headingley, the team is staying calm and focused without making any drastic changes. The internal message has been to repeat their processes, learn from the moments where control was lost, and play their natural aggressive style again.
India's Test Squad vs England (2025 Series)
- Captain: Shubman Gill
- Vice-Captain: Rishabh Pant
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- KL Rahul
- Sai Sudharsan
- Abhimanyu Easwaran
- Karun Nair
- Nitish Reddy
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Washington Sundar
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Rishabh Pant
- Dhruv Jurel
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Mohammed Siraj
- Shardul Thakur
- Prasidh Krishna
- Akash Deep
- Arshdeep Singh