Follow UsIndia's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah is available for selection for the second Test against England at Edgbaston, starting on July 2 (Wednesday). However, the team management is yet to make a final decision regarding his inclusion. Before the series, the ace pacer had informed the management that he would feature in only three Tests in order to manage his workload.
“Bumrah is ready to play. It's about how we manage these four Tests. So, if we feel there's value in playing him in this Test, we'll make that call at the very last minute. I'm talking about factors like the weather, how the pitch is going to play, and whether we’re better off holding him back for Lord's, Manchester, or The Oval,” said ten Doeschate, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
“He trained yesterday, and a little bit today as well. It’s not a fitness issue - he’s fit to play. It’s just a matter of putting the puzzle together and maximizing what we can get from him over the course of the series.”
India are already 1-0 down in the five-match series. A defeat in the second Test would make it extremely difficult for them to bounce back, even with Bumrah in the XI for the remaining matches. “It is (difficult), but we also feel we can level the series at 1-1, or even keep it at 1-0 without Jasprit. That would allow us to use him later in the series. You have to decide when to play your strongest hand.
“We’re considering all factors - weather, conditions - but we believe that whatever XI we put out, we can compete in this Test. We came pretty close in the first Test, even though Jasprit didn’t take any wickets in the second innings. And you can’t win a Test series with just one bowler. The rest of the bowling unit understands they need to contribute. I know I can’t give a more definitive answer right now, but we’ll make the final decision in the next 24 to 48 hours."
India played Shardul Thakur in the first Test at Headingley, which they lost by five wickets. However, captain Shubman Gill didn't trust his bowling. Thakur bowled only 16 overs across two innings and scored just five runs with the bat. There have been reports suggesting that India might bring in Kuldeep Yadav for the second Test. Ten Doeschate, though, didn’t rule out the possibility of playing two spin-bowling allrounders - Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar.
"It's about which two we play. That decision comes down to balancing the batting depth. All three spinners are bowling well. Washi is batting beautifully. So, it’s a question of whether we go with an allrounder-spinner or a specialist spinner. Obviously, we need a bowling allrounder as well,” he explained.
“There are so many variables. The wicket currently has about 11 or 12 millimetres of grass—can’t recall exactly—but it's grassy and patchy. It's dry underneath, and there's also rain forecast for Wednesday. So we’re weighing up our attacking options, but I’m quite sure we’ll play two spinners in this Test.”
Ten Doeschate also spoke about the possibility of playing Nitish Kumar Reddy. "He's very close to getting a game. He was excellent in Australia - came in and performed well. For the previous game, we opted for a bowling allrounder, and we felt Shardul was slightly ahead on that front,” he said.
“We’re now exploring ways to rejig the combination so we can include a batting allrounder, and Nitish is our premier option in that role. I’d say he has a very good chance of playing this Test.”
Speaking on the broader bowling strategy, ten Doeschate added, “We’ve definitely discussed playing four tailenders. It’s fine if you’re 430 for 3, but if you’re 200 for 5, it becomes a different game altogether. We’re assessing each bowler individually, in terms of the impact they can have with the ball.”
“It’s about striking the right balance—figuring out the best way to stay in the contest while still ensuring we can take 20 wickets. That’s the attacking aspect we’re constantly deliberating, and it’s an ongoing conversation within the team.”