ENG vs IND 2025: Shubman Gill provides key update on Jasprit Bumrah's availability for Edgbaston Test

Indian red-ball skipper, Shubman Gill, opened up on Jasprit Bumrah's availability for the second Test of the ongoing five-match series between England and India on the eve of the match. The contest is scheduled to commence at Edgaston on July 2. He shared that the final XI will only be decided once the management and him decide on the strategies and gameplan to be employed on the basis of how the pitch turns out to be on the day of the first day.

“Jasprit Bumrah is definitely available. We just need to see how we manage his workload in the upcoming Tests. We are trying to find the right combination where we can take 20 wickets and score runs as well on this kind of wicket. We will take a final look at the wicket today (July 1) and then think about our final combination we want to go with tomorrow," stated Gill.

He also quashed any doubts on the credibility of any  member of the squad to have played in the first Test, admitting that the current crop of players was the best they could pick.

“It is definitely difficult. But the team we have picked, these are the best players in India. We have picked the best 15-16 players in India. It is not like an impossible task; the other bowlers have also performed well. We have a good talent pool, and this is the main reason behind us competing well overseas," added Gill. 

Gill emphasised that the management opted to take it one game at a time with Bumrah and not pre-meditate the games in which he would play for sure.

“It was not pre-decided because there was a gap between the first and second Tests. If the first two Tests were together and then there was a gap, then it would have been pre-decided. But because there was a gap, we thought we would see how the Tests go. We didn't want to go into the series pre-deciding into that,” he remarked.

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Edgbaston has not been a happy hunting ground for India in Tests, as they have lost seven of the eight Tests they have played there. Gill & Co. would like to turn things around and level the series.