IND vs ENG: Shubman Gill indicates Two-Spinner Approach for Edgbaston, Bumrah conundrum remains

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As Team India look to find their vigour and restore parity in the England Test series, India captain Shubman Gill has indicated a new mode of moving forward ahead of the Edgbaston Test.

The 2nd Test, starting from Wednesday (July 2), will be a massive test of character for the new-looked side, who are already trailing the series after defeat at Headingley.

There is an array of theories on India's potential combination, and Gill's notion steers it towards more of a spin-embracing method that India may embrace in Birmingham. The India captain spoke at the pre-match press conference, almost admitting that the team may bring in an extra spinner to tackle the English batters.

Reflecting on India's five-wicket defeat in Leeds, Gill remarked, "In the previous match, if we had had an extra spinner in the fourth innings, the game could have been better. There were some patches in the wicket that could have been exploited. Whenever Jaddu [Ravindra Jadeja] bhai was bowling, chances were being created."

"We also feel that it is easier for spinners to contain runs than fast bowlers, especially when the ball gets old. If you don't take wickets, it becomes very difficult. We bowled well but dropped a few catches too. It's not easy when you are constantly dropping catches," he added.

At present, the identities of those who will complete the bowling mix remain under wraps. The choices seem to be between left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, off-spinning all-rounder Washington Sundar, and medium-pace bowling all-rounders Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shardul Thakur.

The India captain couldn't give an answer to the Jasprit Bumrah conundrum. The pace spearhead is tipped to miss the 2nd Test and despite no such clarity, it remains like that. Akash Deep is likely to be his replacement, while the name of Arshdeep Singh is also hovering around.

As it stands, the questions continue to outnumber the answers - a familiar theme in India's overseas Test narratives.