Karun Nair is finding the boundary regularly as he, along with Yashasvi Jaiswal, works to stabilise India’s innings after an early setback in the second Test against England at Edgbaston, Birmingham. Opener KL Rahul was dismissed cheaply, scoring just 2 runs off 26 deliveries before an inside edge off Chris Woakes sent the ball crashing into his stumps. Nair, stepping in after the dismissal, has already smashed four fours so far.
Earlier, after winning the toss, England chose to bowl first. India have made three notable changes in their playing XI for this match. One big surprise is the absence of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, and captain Shubman Gill has explained why.
Bumrah has been given a break to manage his workload, as he won’t be playing all five matches in the series. Instead, fast bowler Akash Deep has been included in the team for this match. Bumrah is expected to feature in only three of the five Tests. It’s worth noting that England is currently leading the series 1-0 after their five-wicket win in Leeds, where Bumrah claimed a brilliant five-wicket haul.
Gill’s Take After Losing the Toss
Besides Akash Deep, all-rounders Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar have also been added to India’s lineup. Sai Sudharsan and Shardul Thakur have been dropped. Speaking after the toss, Shubman Gill said, "We were looking to bowl first as well, considering the pitch conditions on Day 1. We’ve made three changes—Nitish Reddy, Washington, and Akash Deep are in. Bumrah has been rested to keep his workload in check. We had a good break after the last game, and this is a crucial match for us."
No Changes for England
England has kept their playing XI unchanged from the previous match. Skipper Ben Stokes said,
"We’ll bowl first. The conditions are cloudy, and that should help our bowlers. We thought about different options, including Jofra Archer, but the team did really well last week. We're feeling confident and understand the conditions better with each Test."
Historically, Edgbaston hasn't been a happy hunting ground for India. The team has played eight Tests at this venue—losing seven and drawing one. The last time India played here in 2022, they lost by seven wickets.
India’s Playing XI
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (Captain), Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
England’s Playing XI
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (Captain), Jamie Smith (Wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.
