How do you start with Jasprit Bumrah, one of the most feared fast bowlers in the world now at his peak and ready to unleash… then stop to think twice before considering playing him? Well, this is the conundrum India is faced with going into the third Test at Edgbaston. India are already 1-0 down, but they aren’t panicking and acting in haste or desperation; they are working out a plan, not from this match only in chess, but considering the whole series. That is real Test cricket strategy.
Bumrah Is Fit—So Why the Delay?
Here’s the twist: Bumrah is not injured. He has spent recent days bowling in nets, on the training pitch, and is in great shape. But, according to the assistant coach of India, Ryan ten Doeschate, it’s not merely about fitness – it’s about optimisation. The original blueprint had Bumrah penciled in for just three of the five Tests—a calculated dose of firepower, not a full-throttle sprint. The back-to-back nature of the Edgbaston and Lord’s Tests makes the thinking group aware of the risk of overloading him too soon.
To add to the dilemma, the weather forecast is not conducive to Bumrah either. There will be rain on Day 1, Day 4, and Day 5, and secondly, the pitch looks like it will be dry underneath a possible spin-friendly surface. So, while Bumrah is chomping at the bit to let one loose, India has got to look ahead. They want him fresh and potent on the slope at Lord’s and potentially one more time at the Oval or Manchester grounds that are not going to shy away from offering rewards for high-skill pace bowling.
The Two-Spinner Curveball
And this is where the fun begins! India is seriously thinking about playing two spinners at Edgbaston. In England. On an 11m grass pitch that is decidedly dry underneath. The management is seeing a good opportunity to attack with spin.
With Ravindra Jadeja locked in, it becomes a close decision between Kuldeep Yadav, the more attacking wrist-spinner, and Washington Sundar, providing the more effective depth in batting. Washi’s recent good form with bat and tight off-spin may be too tempting, particularly if India opts to lengthen their batting selection, having come off the Headingley mishap.
Kuldeep’s proclivity for wickets even in unfriendly tracks does make this a serious conundrum! The question is, do you want control and cushion in the batting order (Washi), or x-factor and attacking bite (Kuldeep)? Really comes down to how brave India wants to be!
Batting Balance vs Bowling Firepower: The Tug of War
The Bumrah and spin decisions are all tied in with a broader issue: India’s balance of batting depth versus wicket-taking ability. Captain Shubman Gill had earlier said he was happy to have four tail-end batters if it meant getting 20 wickets. That was in theory. In practice, it’s a whole lot different when you are 200 for 5! Those extra seamers are far less valuable!
The surprise packet from the Boxing Day Test, Nitish Kumar Reddy, is making a comeback, and he may just be the happy compromise between batting stability with a little bit of useful medium pace. He was active in training, even with the slips, which reflects a growing interest in him from the team. I suspect that it will be a straight shootout between Reddy and Shardul Thakur for the all-rounder spot.
At this moment, it appears the team is content to gamble a little bit in the interest of the bigger picture. So, what do you reckon- does India get two spinners onto the park and rest Bumrah, or go full throttle to level the series now? Tell us your thoughts. This goes right down to the wire!
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