Bumrah Boosts India's Hopes: Star Pacer Returns to Bowling Drills Ahead of Edgbaston Test

Bumrah Back in Action as India Intensifies Bowling Practice for Edgbaston Test

Jasprit Bumrah made a return to training on Saturday, shifting the focus to bowling as Team India continued their preparations for the Edgbaston Test.

Bumrah's presence at the nets garnered considerable attention after he skipped Friday's opening session. Questions linger about his availability for the second Test against England.

Following a five-wicket defeat at Headingley, which saw them trail 0-1 in the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, India commenced preparations on Friday. Although the entire squad participated in practice, the absence of Bumrah and fellow pacer Prasidh Krishna from active drills fueled speculation regarding their readiness for the Birmingham Test.

However, Saturday brought a significant boost to India's pace attack. Bumrah, Prasidh, and Mohammed Siraj all bowled at the nets. Siraj also followed up on his batting practice from Day 1. Their return injected renewed energy into India’s preparations as the team aims to rebound strongly in Birmingham.

Among the batsmen, Sai Sudharsan, who debuted in the Headingley Test, was the first to practice in the nets on Day 2. Notably absent from Saturday's training were captain Shubman Gill, vice-captain Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. All four had engaged in extensive batting practice on Friday, with Gill and Pant spending considerable time in the nets.

While Bumrah’s return is a promising sign, his inclusion in the Edgbaston XI remains uncertain. The 31-year-old bowled 44 overs in the series opener and is expected to feature in only three of the five Tests as part of a workload management strategy. Head coach Gautam Gambhir emphasized after the Headingley loss that the decision on Bumrah’s participation would be made on a match-to-match basis, regardless of the series scoreline.

With bowling now a central focus of India's practice, the team hopes their key bowlers will be fully prepared as they pursue a series-leveling victory at Edgbaston.