IND vs ENG: Jasprit Bumrah OUT, Akash Deep In- India's Predicted XI For 2nd Test Against England

IND vs ENG: India are set to make a significant change to their playing XI as they prepare for the second Test against England, starting July 2 at Edgbaston, Birmingham. Jasprit Bumrah, India's pace spearhead and currently the top-ranked Test bowler in the ICC rankings, is reportedly set to miss the upcoming match as part of workload management.

The 31-year-old was the standout performer for India in the opening Test of the five-match series, claiming 5 for 83 in the first innings and maintaining a tight line in the second.

However, he is now expected to be rested, a decision that will undoubtedly impact India's bowling strength in the second game - especially at a venue where they have never registered a Test win.

Bumrah's Absence and the Fast Bowling Equation

With Bumrah likely unavailable, the responsibility of leading the pace attack will fall to Mohammed Siraj. Prasidh Krishna, who bagged five wickets in the series opener but was also expensive with the ball, is set to retain his spot due to a lack of experienced alternatives.

The third seamer's position is expected to go to Akash Deep, who has impressed since making his Test debut against England last year. The right-arm quick has already featured in seven Tests and has 15 wickets to his name. Another option, Arshdeep Singh, is yet to debut in the longest format, but has shown his class in limited-overs cricket. However, Akash's red-ball experience makes him the frontrunner.

Kuldeep in, Shardul Out?

India might also opt to tweak their bowling balance by replacing Shardul Thakur with Kuldeep Yadav, who brings a genuine spin threat. Shardul had a quiet outing in Leeds, contributing little with both bat and ball. Given the conditions at Edgbaston and India's need for a strike bowler to support the pace trio, a wrist-spinner like Kuldeep could add much-needed variety and wicket-taking potential.

Nitish Kumar Reddy is another option, but considering the top six batters performed well in the previous Test, India are likely to prioritise a specialist bowler over a batting all-rounder.

Batting Line-up to Remain Unchanged

Despite the result in Leeds going against them, India's batters showed promise. Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, along with B Sai Sudharsan and captain Shubman Gill, form the core of the top order. Rishabh Pant continues behind the stumps, while Karun Nair and Ravindra Jadeja add depth in the middle order.

India's Predicted XI For 2nd Test: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, B Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj.