Reports: Arshdeep in contention over Bumrah for Edgbaston Test against England

The left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh had an extended bowling session during India’s first training day in Birmingham on Friday, June 27, ahead of the second Test at Edgbaston. He is yet to make his Test debut, and worked closely with bowling coach Morne Morkel which indicated he could be in contention for selection for the upcoming encounter, at a venue where India are yet to win a Test match.

With Jasprit Bumrah unlikely to feature in the second Test, Arshdeep stands a good chance of earning his maiden red-ball cap. The seamer has featured prominently in white-ball cricket for India and has experience playing in English conditions, having previously participated in County Cricket.

According to multiple reports in the media, Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna were present at the stadium but did not participate in training. Bumrah had earlier mentioned he would play three Tests in the series, subject to how his body handles the workload. The fast bowler captained India at Edgbaston back in 2022, where England chased down 378 runs to deliver an incredible win.

India trail 0–1 in the five-match series after The Three Lions chased down a massive 371-run target at Headingley, Leeds. Ben Duckett starred in the successful chase with his magnificent 149-run knock on the final day of the match, while for India, Bumrah went wicketless in the final innings, resulting in a huge loss for the visiting Shubman Gill-led side.

India is expected to tweak their combination for the second Test, which begins on July 2. With conditions anticipated to be similar to the dry, flat pitch in Leeds, India may opt to play two spinners and try bringing in the likes of Kuldeep Yadav as the specialist spinner.

Sitanshu Kotak also gave special attention to Mohammed Siraj to work on his bowling rhythm. Meanwhile, India’s tail-end batting collapse in both innings of the first Test proved costly. England captain Ben Stokes acknowledged that wrapping up India’s lower order quickly played a key role in their victory. India will be hoping for more resistance from their lower order and improved execution in Edgbaston.