Ready for a Comeback! Team Begins Prep for 2nd Test vs England at Edgbaston

The Indian cricket team resumed training on Friday at Edgbaston, Birmingham, ahead of the second Test against England. This practice session was their first since the five-wicket loss in the first Test at Headingley, which gave England a 1-0 lead in the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

All players were present at the ground, including star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. However, Bumrah did not take part in any on-field training. Another fast bowler, Prasidh Krishna, was also seen on the ground but didn’t bowl or join any drills. The rest of the team went through a full training session.

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Mohammed Siraj focused on improving his batting, while head coach Gautam Gambhir was seen talking at length with young pacers Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep. In the nets, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant had batting practice. All other bowlers, except Bumrah and Prasidh, completed their bowling sessions.

Despite losing the first match, the team seemed calm and in good spirits. They are still in a transition phase, with senior players guiding the youngsters and showing full support.

A day before the practice session, the squad took part in a fun team bonding activity at an adventure park, giving them a break from the pressure of the series.

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Now, the main focus is on Jasprit Bumrah’s availability. He bowled 44 overs in the first Test and is likely to play only three out of the five matches in the series to manage his workload. Coach Gambhir confirmed that Bumrah’s participation will be decided before each match and not based on the series score.

Since there are only four days between the second Test (July 2–6) and the third (July 10–14), it is possible that Bumrah may rest for the Edgbaston match. Both Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar have stressed that Bumrah’s health and long-term fitness are more important than the current series score.