As England prepare to host India for the second Test of the five-match series at Edgbaston on Wednesday, senior pacer Chris Woakes has signaled that the home side will reassess their bowling plans—particularly against India’s in-form vice-captain Rishabh Pant, who delivered a stunning double-century performance in the opening match.
India may have suffered a five-wicket defeat at Headingley, but their batting unit dominated the game, producing five individual centuries. Yashasvi Jaiswal (101), Shubman Gill (147), KL Rahul (137), and Pant—who smashed 134 and 118 in the two innings—showcased immense resolve and aggression. Their combined effort gave India the upper hand for much of the contest, even as their bowling attack failed to make decisive breakthroughs.
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Woakes, who is part of England’s squad for the second Test, admitted during Monday’s press conference that Pant’s unpredictable and attacking approach poses a major challenge. “Rishabh’s a player who you don’t really know what’s coming next. He keeps you on your toes as a bowler. It’s exciting to be part of a game when he’s at the crease, but he can also put you on the back foot quickly,” Woakes said.
Pant’s counterattacking style has often troubled England in their own conditions. In 10 Tests in England, the left-hander has tallied 808 runs at an impressive average of 42.52 with a strike rate nearing 70. Despite his personal milestones, Pant is yet to notch a victory for India in an away Test when scoring a century—something he will be eager to change at Edgbaston.
Woakes acknowledged that detailed discussions about how to tackle Pant and other Indian batters would take place as part of England’s preparation for the second Test. “He scored two hundreds at Headingley, chanced his arm on a few occasions and it came off. Hopefully, this week we can get him a little earlier,” he said. “We haven’t really met up yet, but I’m sure we’ll have conversations about how to approach him and the others more effectively.”
England head into the Edgbaston Test with a strong and balanced squad, led by Ben Stokes and featuring experienced names like Joe Root, Jofra Archer, and Chris Woakes himself, along with promising talents such as Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, and Jamie Smith.
India, meanwhile, will continue with Shubman Gill as captain and Rishabh Pant as his deputy. The squad includes a mix of established performers and young prospects. With Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Kuldeep Yadav leading the bowling unit and all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar providing depth, India will be aiming to bounce back and level the series.
India’s squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC & WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.
England Men’s Test squad for 2nd Test: Ben Stokes (capt), Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.
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