With two days to go before the second Test at Edgbaston, India still have at least two selection calls to settle. Jasprit Bumrah is fully fit, says assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate, yet the fast bowler may sit out if the management decide his overs are better banked for later in the five-match series.
“Bumrah is ready to play,” ten Doeschate confirmed on Monday. “It’s how we manage these four Tests. So if we feel like there’s value in playing him in this Test, we’ll make that call at the very last minute. I’m talking about weather, how the pitch is going to play, are we better off holding him back for Lord’s and maybe Manchester or The Oval? So it’s all those factors, but you’ve seen him train yesterday, he trained a little bit today. It’s not like he’s not fit to play. It’s just trying to fit those puzzle pieces to get the most out of what we know we do have from him.”
Forecasts for Birmingham are mixed – rain is predicted on days one, four and five – so there is a possibility of lost overs on a surface that already looks slower than the usual Edgbaston fare. That combination, together with Bumrah’s recent history of carefully managed workloads, explains why India are prepared to “call it at the very last minute”.
Spin, meanwhile, appears certain to feature heavily. The pitch currently carries 11-12 mm of grass, yet underneath it is dry and crumbly. Two frontline spinners are therefore expected, although the second may be an all-rounder rather than a specialist. Washington Sundar, the off-spinner who also strengthens the lower order, is firmly in the frame.
“It’s just which two we play,” ten Doeschate said. “And that goes back to juggling the batting depth. All three spinners are bowling very nicely. Washi is batting very nicely. So it’s just which combination do we go with? The all-rounder-spinner or the out-and-out spinner? And obviously you have to play the bowling all-rounder again.”
The three-way tussle is between Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin and Washington. Jadeja is virtually undroppable, Ashwin’s record in England is strong, and Washington’s left-hand batting offers flexibility. India, therefore, may need to choose between extra runs at No. 7 and Ashwin’s experience against a right-hand heavy England top order.
The skipper, Shubman Gill, began the series stating he would not rule out a four-seamer strategy, even at the expense of lower-order runs. Results since Australia, however, indicate how difficult that path can be once early wickets do not materialise. Ten Doeschate put it bluntly when asked how seriously the think-tank continue to consider the 7-4 bowling-heavy line-up: “We have [discussed playing four tailenders]. And when you’re 430 for 3, it’s absolutely fine, but when you’re 200 for 5, it’s a very different ball game.”
That one sentence captures India’s current dilemma: they need 20 wickets on generally flat English surfaces, yet they cannot ignore the fragile nature of a line-up that was 110 for 4 at Lord’s last week before Jadeja’s counter-attack rescued them. England’s own deep batting card only amplifies the concern. If India go in light with the bat and fall behind, a draw becomes the ceiling of their ambition even if the weather behaves.
Bumrah’s inclusion, therefore, is not just about overs; it is about whether the bowling group can deliver a decisive punch without compromising the batting unit. Should he sit out, either Mukesh Kumar or Akash Deep would partner Mohammed Siraj and the two spinners, with Shardul Thakur continuing as the pace-bowling all-rounder.
Ten Doeschate emphasised that no option has been ruled out, pointing again to the vagaries of English weather. The coaching staff inspected the surface twice on Monday and plan another look after the final covers come off on match morning. Final selection, he insisted, will be based on live conditions rather than pre-set templates.
There is, of course, a psychological element. England, 1-0 up after the Lord’s win, have built momentum through aggressive batting and scoreboard pressure. India know that starting Well on the first morning – whether by striking early with Bumrah or building a solid opening stand – is vital to regaining parity in the series.
For now, the visitors are keeping their cards close. The team sheet may not be revealed until the toss, but the shape of their discussions is clear: squeeze two spinners into an XI that can still post 350, and make every Bumrah spell count whenever he is unleashed. If the rain stays away, the answers will be judged from Wednesday onward; if it does not, India will hope the extra rest means Bumrah is even fresher for Lord’s.
