India captain Shubman Gill has confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah is available for selection for the second Test against England at Edgbaston.
Bumrah Available for Edgbaston Test, Workload Management Key: Shubman Gill
India captain Shubman Gill has confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah is available for selection in the second Test against England at Edgbaston, starting July 2. However, the final decision on Bumrah’s participation will be made after the team management assesses the pitch conditions on match day. It was earlier confirmed that the 31-year-old fast bowler will feature in just three Tests during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Bumrah, currently the No.1-ranked ICC Test bowler, bowled a total of 43.4 overs in the series opener at Headingley. He clearly outperformed the other seamers—Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Shardul Thakur—who conceded runs at a brisk pace and struggled to build pressure. Despite taking five wickets in the first innings, Bumrah went wicketless in the second. Gill managed his workload carefully, refraining from bowling him when England needed just 85 runs to win.
“Jasprit Bumrah is definitely available. We just need to see how we manage his workload in the upcoming matches. We are trying to find the right combination to take 20 wickets and score runs on this wicket. We’ll finalize the combination after seeing the pitch today,” Gill said during the pre-match press conference.
Bumrah’s workload in the first Test—24.4 overs in the first innings and 19 in the second—sparked calls for him to play all five Tests. However, head coach Gautam Gambhir clarified that Bumrah will stick to the planned three matches.
Regarding which Tests Jasprit Bumrah will play, Gill noted there was no pre-determined schedule. “Because there was a gap between the first and second Tests, we decided to take it one game at a time rather than pre-decide his participation.”
Bumrah’s workload management
Since Jasprit Bumrah suffered a back spasm during the Sydney Test against Australia, India’s team management has been particularly cautious about managing his workload. The injury forced Bumrah to miss the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 and the opening matches of the Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2025 campaign.
Ahead of the England series, Bumrah revealed that he personally requested the BCCI not to consider him for Test captaincy following Rohit Sharma’s retirement. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to play all five Tests due to workload concerns, he chose to prioritize his fitness and availability over leadership responsibilities.