India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is available for selection in the second Test against England, assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate confirmed on Monday. However, the final decision on his inclusion will be made closer to the match, which begins at Headingley on 2 July.
Ten Doeschate mentioned that while Bumrah is fully fit, the team management is carefully considering workload and long-term strategy for the five-Test series. Bumrah, who bowled 43.4 overs in the first Test at the same venue, was always expected to play only three of the five Tests in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
“He's available for the game. We know from the start he's only going to play three out of the five,” said ten Doeschate. “He's had eight days to recover from the last Test. But given conditions, workload, and how we think we can best manage for the next four games, we haven't made a call on that.”
Bumrah was seen bowling at full intensity during India’s recent training session, raising hopes of his return to the playing XI. Videos of his practice spell have been widely shared on social media, fuelling speculation ahead of the must-win encounter for India, who are trailing 0–1 in the series.
“We're going to see what the other guys are with their workload as well. So technically, yes, he's available,” ten Doeschate added.
The Indian pace attack, led by Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, struggled to make significant breakthroughs in the first Test. Bumrah’s return could offer much-needed control and penetration, particularly in English conditions where he has historically been effective.
Ten Doeschate was clear that Bumrah’s fitness was not in question. “With Bumrah, he is ready to play. It's how we manage these four Tests. If we feel like there's value in playing him in this Test, we'll make that call at the very last minute,” he said.
“But I'm talking about how the pitch is going to play. Are we better off holding him back for Lord’s and maybe Manchester or The Oval? So it's all those factors.”
He continued, “You've seen him train yesterday, he trained a little bit today. It's not like he's not fit to play. It's just trying to fit those puzzle pieces to get the most out of him, out of what we know we do have from him.”
Despite the temptation to field Bumrah, ten Doeschate suggested India could still be competitive without him.
“We feel that whatever we put out there, we can compete in this Test match. We came pretty close without Jasprit in the second half. He didn’t get any wickets. But you can't win the Test series with just one bowler in any case. The bowlers are very well aware that they need to chip in with wickets.”
A decision is expected within the next 24 hours, as the team continues to weigh the balance between immediate impact and long-term planning.
Should Bumrah be selected and claim a five-wicket haul at Edgbaston, he will equal former Pakistan great Wasim Akram’s record of 11 five-wicket hauls by an Asian bowler in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) countries. Bumrah currently stands at 10.
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