Team India are all geared up to face England in the second Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham, starting from July 2. India are trailing in the five-match series, having lost the first Test at Headingley.
The Indian bowling attack was crticised a lot post India's loss in the first Test. Individual batters were targeted for not performing as expected. Twice in two innings, India had a batting collapse with the team losing 13 wickets for just over 70 runs. Thus the batting lineup needs to be reworked as well.
The bowling attack needs multiple changes with even talks of playing two spinners in the lineup. Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar, both are in the running for a place in the XI, as is Nitish Kumar Reddy. Thus, India has multiple selection conundrums heading into a Test match, they must win to keep themselves alive in the series.
Also Read: IND vs ENG 2025: "We Will Give It A Good Crack" - Harry Brook On Chasing 450 & Beyond In Tests
Likely India Playing XI For Second Test vs England
In this article, we predict India's likely playing XI for the second Test against England at Edgbaston, Birmingham, starting from July 2.
- Top Order
The management is likely to persist with Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul at the top order. Both scored centuries in the first Test. Jaiswal scored a ton in the first innings while Rahul in the second. Together, they have added crucial runs for India including a 200-run stand in the series against Australia. While no one is doubting Jaiswal's potential with the bat, the management will want him to raise his fielding and catching standards after he dropped five catches in the first Test. Former Indian cricketers are expecting consistency from Rahul as well.
- Middle Order
Rishabh Pant ahead of the first Test confirmed that Shubman Gill will bat at four and he himself at five. With these two spots sorted, there are other places to look in. Sai Sudharsan batted at three and scored a duck and 30 in the two innings. The bigger problems seems to be Karun Nair at six. He too scored a duck and 20 in the second innings. Meanwhile, the management is weighing in all the options regarding the batting order and getting the best possible combination.
- All-Rounders
There are talks of Nitish Reddy likely to get a look-in at Edgbaston. He might come in for Shardul Thakur who did not score too many runs with the bat and did not bowl too many overs in the first Test apart from his two wickets. Ravindra Jadeja, despite his poor returns in the first Test, is expected to play in the second Test given his experience as a player. Thus in all probability, Reddy and Jadeja will be the all-rounders slotted in at six and seven.
- Bowlers
India's bowling attack needs a complete overhaul with reports of Jasprit Bumrah not likely to play at Edgbaston. Prasidh Krishna found some rhythm in the second innings and Mohammed Siraj was criticised for not backing Bumrah enough. India have the luxury of giving Arshdeep Singh a game and changing the angle a bit. Playing him will give India a different dimension with his left-arm pace and the variety that the attack needs. Akash Deep can also get a look in if Bumrah is eventually rested with either of Siraj or Prasidh. If both of them play, Arshdeep with his left-arm swing can be the ideal combination.
There are also talks about Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav also being in the mix. Kuldeep has been rated very highly by several former cricketers and is seen as someone who can pose problems for the England batters. He can come in as the third spinner if India decides to go in with just two pacers and two spinners, with Nitish as the fifth bowling option.
India's Probable Playing XI For Second Test vs England
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj / Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh
