Ahead of the second Test match against England at Edgbaston in Birmingham, star Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was seen bowling with full throttle during India's practice session on June 28. Despite this display of readiness, there have been speculations surrounding Bumrah's participation in the upcoming Test. Several reports have suggested that the team management might opt to rest him in order to effectively manage his workload throughout the series.
Jasprit Bumrah bowls full throttle in nets ahead of 2nd Test against England
Amidst the uncertainty regarding his availability for the second Test, Bumrah was spotted bowling at full pace in the nets during India's practice session. TOI reporter's video soon went viral on social media, adding spice to the building suspense over his availability for the second Test, which is slated to get underway from July 2. For now Bumrah's intense training is only igniting hopes among fans for his inclusion in Birmingham Test.
Notably, Bumrah skipped the training session on June 27. He was present during the nets session but didn't participate in it. Moreover, India's head coach Gautam Gambhir was also seen engaging in a conversation with Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep.
During the first Test match, Bumrah bowled a total of 43.4 overs across both innings and took 5 wickets for 140 runs. Notably, he went wicketless in the second innings, conceding 57 runs in 19 overs. In that innings, England successfully chased down their second-highest target in Test history, scoring 370 runs to secure a five-wicket victory and take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Despite being behind in the series, Gambhir, had previously indicated that the team would prioritize managing Bumrah's workload by giving him as much rest as possible.
"No, our plans remain the same. Managing Bumrah’s workload is crucial because we have a lot of cricket coming up. Before this tour began, it was decided that he would play three Tests, but we haven’t yet decided which three. We’ll see how his body holds up. But yes, we absolutely believe in the bowling group. We picked them on trust, not hope. They’ll keep getting better with time," Gambhir had earlier said in the post-match press conference.
It will be interesting to see whether Bumrah will play the crucial second Test or ends up missing it, especially when India are trailing the five-match series 0-1.