On the eve of the match, Indian red-ball captain Shubman Gill discussed if Jasprit Bumrah would be available for the second Test of the current England-India five-match series. The competition will start on July 2 at Edgaston. He disclosed that the final starting lineup will only be determined after he and the management have agreed on the tactics and strategy to be used, taking into account the pitch’s performance on the first day.
There is no doubt that Jasprit Bumrah is available. All we have to do is watch how we handle his workload in the next tests. On this type of track, we are looking for the ideal mix that will allow us to score runs and take 20 wickets. Today (July 1), we will take one last look at the wicket before deciding on our final lineup for tomorrow,” Gill said.
By acknowledging that the current group of players was the best they could choose, he also dispelled any scepticism over the reliability of any member of the team to have participated in the first Test.
“It is undoubtedly challenging. However, the players on the team we have chosen are the greatest in India. We have selected India’s top 15–16 players. The other bowlers have done well, so it’s not like it’s an insurmountable challenge. We compete effectively abroad primarily because of our strong skill pool,” Gill continued.
Shubman Gill underlined that rather than pre-meditating the games in which Bumrah will undoubtedly play, the management chose to deal with him one game at a time.
Due to the interval between the first and second Tests, it was not predetermined. It would have been predetermined if the first two tests had been conducted together and then there had been a pause. However, due to the distance, we decided to wait and see how the tests went. We didn’t want to make that decision before the series began,” he said.
India has lost seven of their eight Test matches played at Edgbaston, making it a dismal place for them to hunt down opponents. The goal of Gill & Co. is to level the series and make things better.
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