By Rohit - Jul 01, 2025 04:34 PM
As the highly anticipated second Test between India and England draws closer, major changes are on the horizon for the visitors. Scheduled to begin on July 3 at Edgbaston, the match carries added pressure for India, who trail 0–1 in the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series after a disappointing defeat at Headingley.
With the legendary Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli having retired from Test cricket earlier this year, India is in the midst of a significant transitional phase, one now led by Shubman Gill, with Rishabh Pant as vice-captain. This new leadership duo is tasked with reviving India’s red-ball campaign and steering a relatively young side toward redemption in hostile English conditions.
Among the changes being strongly considered is the resting of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who bowled extended spells in the opening Test. With three more grueling matches still to come, the Indian think tank, led by head coach Gautam Gambhir and assistant Ryan ten Doeschate, is reportedly inclined to give Bumrah a break to manage his workload.
This strategy is not just about rest, but about ensuring India’s most potent weapon remains fresh for the third Test at Lord’s, a venue where Bumrah’s accuracy and reverse swing could be game-changing. Should Bumrah sit out, Bengal quick Akash Deep is expected to slot into the XI, forming a pace attack alongside Mohammed Siraj and Mukesh Kumar, a youthful yet promising trio with enough firepower to trouble English batters.
In the all-round department, Nitish Kumar Reddy is set to return to the playing XI, replacing Shardul Thakur, whose underwhelming outing in the first Test with both bat and ball has triggered a rethink. Reddy is not a debutant, having already played five Tests since his debut against Australia in November 2024, where he notched an impressive century at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
His return is seen as a tactical upgrade that boosts India’s batting depth without compromising on medium-pace utility. Ten Doeschate hinted at this during a recent press interaction, stating that India “wants to rebalance the puzzle” with a stronger middle-order presence, and Nitish, with his dual skills and calm temperament, fits the bill perfectly.
Another talking point has been the second spinner’s slot. While Ravindra Jadeja remains the undisputed first-choice, the battle for the supporting spinner role is between Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav. Observations from the net sessions suggest Sundar might have the edge.
He bowled long spells targeting India’s top batters and followed it up with a lengthy and intense batting session, clear signs that the coaching staff sees him as a strong all-round option. In contrast, Kuldeep, despite showing decent rhythm, was only tested against local net bowlers, not the main Indian quicks. This could hint at a potential omission unless the pitch demands his wrist spin. Given Edgbaston’s reputation for aiding seam early on before turning later in the match, the final call may be made after the toss.
England Confirmed XI vs India:Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.
India's predicted XI vs England: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (wk, vc), Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep.
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