NEW DELHI: Will Jasprit Bumrah feature in the second Test against England? What changes will India make after their defeat in the first Test? Will Kuldeep Yadav be brought into the mix? Who might be left out of the playing XI? These are some of the many questions being asked as India look to bounce back and level the series 1-1 when the second Test begins at Edgbaston in Birmingham on July 2.The Indian team management has already stated that Bumrah, due to workload management and his injury history, will only play three of the five Tests — although it’s still unclear which matches those will be. In the first Test at Leeds, Bumrah took a five-wicket haul in the first innings but went wicketless in the second, bowling nearly 44 overs in total as England chased down 371.Kuldeep Yadav’s exclusion from the first Test raised eyebrows, but after the loss, he is now being strongly considered for inclusion in the second Test, with the surface in Birmingham expected to assist spinners.“Kis tarah se hum Kuldeep Yadav ko team la sakte hain [“How can we bring Kuldeep Yadav into the team?]. The team will have to give some thought to how we can bring Kuldeep Yadav into the XI, because judging by the approach we saw from the England batters in the first Test, Kuldeep — who bowls wrist spin — could be effective. Historically, England’s batters haven’t played wrist spin particularly well. So that is definitely something worth considering,” former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar said on Star Sports.
Former India batter Subramaniam Badrinath believes India should bring in both Kuldeep and pacer Arshdeep Singh for the Edgbaston Test.“I think one change could be replacing Shardul — I’d definitely look to include a bowler. And maybe instead of Prasidh Krishna, I’d look to add some variety. So probably, my changes would be Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav coming into the XI. But then again, the final XI will depend on the conditions,” Badrinath said.India’s five-match Test series against England began with the first game at Headingley, Leeds, from June 20 to 24, where England secured a five-wicket win. The second Test will be played at Edgbaston, Birmingham, from July 2 to 6, followed by the third at Lord’s, London, from July 10 to 14. The fourth Test is scheduled at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, from July 23 to 27, and the final Test will be held at the Kennington Oval, London, from July 31 to August 4. This marquee series is part of the ongoing World Test Championship cycle.
