India Yet to Decide on Jasprit Bumrah’s Inclusion Despite Availability for Edgbaston Test

India’s premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is officially available for the second Test against England at Edgbaston, but team management remains undecided on whether he will be included in the playing XI. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate confirmed Bumrah’s readiness at a press conference on Monday, adding that the final decision will depend on workload management and pitch conditions.

“Yeah, he’s available for the game, obviously,” Doeschate said. “We know from the start he’s only going to play three out of the five Tests. He’s had eight days to recover, but we’ve yet to decide whether this is the right game for him. We’ll assess the conditions and the rest of the pace attack before making a call.”

The ongoing five-Test series between India and England is expected to be physically demanding, and the Indian management, led by head coach Gautam Gambhir, had earlier made it clear that Bumrah would be used selectively. Gambhir reiterated after the Headingley loss that Bumrah would feature in only three matches to safeguard his long-term fitness, a stance maintained despite public calls for him to play all five games.

Bumrah was instrumental in the first Test, returning figures of 5/83 in the first innings at Headingley, but went wicketless in the second innings as England completed a record 371-run chase—marking their second-highest successful pursuit in Test history. The result intensified scrutiny over India’s bowling tactics and raised questions about Bumrah’s usage in the remaining matches.

With four matches left and only two slots remaining for Bumrah’s participation, the team is weighing conditions at venues like Lord’s, Old Trafford, and The Oval before deciding where his inclusion could be most impactful.

“It’s not a question of fitness—he’s been bowling in the nets since Saturday and trained a bit today as well,” Doeschate clarified. “We’re just trying to manage the bigger picture. Should we use him now, or hold him back for venues that might offer more to his style of bowling? These are puzzle pieces we’re still putting together.”

India’s full squad for the Edgbaston Test includes a mix of experience and emerging talent. Captain Shubman Gill and vice-captain Rishabh Pant lead a team featuring Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, and Kuldeep Yadav among others. Bumrah’s inclusion would add proven firepower to the bowling unit, but the decision is set to go down to the wire.