Down 0-1 in the IND vs ENG Test series, India Cricket Team take on England at Edgbaston in Birmingham, where they have never won a Test before. While the Leeds Test had many positives for India in batting, the 1st Test also exposed some of the problems with the combination. While it is too early to make too many changes, head coach Gautam Gambhir would want to avoid mistakes in the India Playing XI for 2nd Test.
There is no certainty regarding Jasprit Bumrah’s availability for the 2nd Test. And if he does rest in Edgbaston, Team India would need to bring in a specialist in either Arshdeep Singh or Kuldeep Yadav or Akash Deep. But the think tank will also need to be mindful of the fact that the lower order does not have batting depth. Removing Shardul Thakur from the equation could further weaken India’s batting, even though he hasn’t contributed a lot and seemed like a placeholder in the India Playing XI.
EdgbastonPrep Begins #TeamIndia | #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/6JJ9gXmlDk
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 27, 2025The Shardul Thakur conundrum
Let’s face it, Shardul Thakur is not an all-rounder. Despite his domestic exploits and half-centuries in England, he is no Chris Woakes or Pat Cummins or even Mitchell Starc who would offer batting depth. Shardul scored 1 & 4 with the bat and returned with 0/38 and 2/51 in the Leeds Test, bowling just 16 overs. He had an economy rate of 5.56, an average of 44.50 and a strike rate of 48.0. Had he not taken those two wickets, Shardul would have been as anonymous as the groundsmen.
Even though Gambhir played Shardul as a bowling all-rounder, captain Shubman Gill’s lack of trust in his bowling abilities was profound. Shardul bowled two spells of two overs and three overs in the first innings with no return. It was not until the 40th over that Shardul was introduced to the attack.
In the 2nd innings, Shardul Thakur bowled the first spell of three overs. Then, he had to wait for 30 overs to return to bowling again. And he delivered with twin strikes. While he bowled two more overs after the wickets, Gill kept him in reserve until the 74th over when the match was already lost. After the 1st Test defeat, Gambhir spilt the beans, putting the responsibility on Gill for the management of Shardul Thakur.
“Sometimes captain goes with his instincts and Ravindra Jadeja gave us control in the first innings. That was important and we could rotate our three pacers at the other end. We know what Shardul’s quality and that is why he is playing for India and is in the dressing room. Just because he is the fourth seamer does not necessarily mean that he has to be brought ahead of a spinner. A captain went by his instinct and depending on the surface, we were playing,” Gautam Gambhir said at the post-match presser.
However, if he is not contributing enough to the bowling, there is no harm in having a specialist batter who can bowl a bit. Nitish Kumar Reddy could do the job that Shardul did in Leeds. If Reddy plays at No 6 and Ravindra Jadeja at No 7, it would not make much of a difference.
Who else but Bumrah?
Another question that the Gambhir-Gill duo would be searching for is Bumrah’s availability. If Bumrah is available for the IND vs ENG Edgbaston Test, no problem. But if he is not, who will be the third seamer? Arshdeep Singh has shown potential with his swing and could be the preferred choice. There is also Akash Deep who has had his moments of glory.
But barring Bumrah, India’s entire pace attack is erratic. Edgbaston will be another batting heaven with lots of runs on offer. India would need a pace battery that has better control and does not leak unnecessary runs. Prasidh Krishna bowled some good spells but was erratic and leaked runs at a 6.28 economy rate in the entire match. Mohd Siraj was lacklustre with the new ball and only found rhythm with the old ball and in the second innings. But he was also erratic.
Is there a place for Kuldeep Yadav?
However, India could make a course correction. Instead of playing four seamers, they could go with an extra spinner in Kuldeep. Many experts have backed Kuldeep to shine against England. With the Edgbaston pitch also devoid of rain, it is going to be dry, aiding spinners from Day 3.
But if Kuldeep comes in, who goes out? While many would want a swap between Bumrah and Kuldeep if the former is rested, India would need to make one more change to bring Arshdeep Singh in as the new ball bowler. That would mean dropping either Mohd Siraj, Shardul or Prasidh.
Prasidh could be the one to get the boot for combinations’ sake. However, it is unlikely that Team India would make drastic changes. Hence, if Bumrah misses out, Kuldeep would come in as an extra spinner.
The logical option
Dropping Sai Sudharsan and have Karun Nair at No 3 could open up a space at No 6 where Nitish Reddy could come in. If he bowls 10-15 overs, that would help Shubman Gill rotate the other three pacers. Having Reddy at No 6 and Jadeja at No 7 would also strengthen India’s batting.
Kuldeep Yadav could come in as a direct swap for Shardul Thakur, retaining Prasidh and Siraj. If Bumrah is rested, Arshdeep Singh could come in. However, Team India are unlikely to make so many changes only after 1st Test.
Predicted India Playing XI
Yashasvi Jaiswal KL Rahul Sai Sudharsan Shubman Gill Rishabh Pant Karun Nair Ravindra Jadeja Kuldeep Yadav Arshdeep Singh Mohd Siraj Prasidh KrishnaIndia squad for 2nd Test
Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC & WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav
Predicted India Playing XI: India face Bumrah suspense, Kuldeep-Shardul conundrum at Edgbaston Inside Sport India.
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