Sports Sports: India captain faced the media on the eve of the second Test match of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy starting on July 2 at Edgbaston and spoke about the biggest concern of all fans – Jasprit Bumrah’s availability. After suffering a stress fracture in his back in the final Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where Bumrah wreaked havoc on the Australian batsmen, Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill had confirmed that the bowler would be able to play only three of the five Tests due to workload management.

With the team already trailing 0-1 after the five-wicket loss at Headingley
, it remains to be seen if India can play without Bumrah. “Jasprit Bumrah is available. We are trying to find the right combination that can take 20 wickets and also score runs. We will take a final decision after having a last look at the wickets today,” Gill said in the pre-game conference.

The young Indian captain also spoke about the difficulty caused by Bumrah’s absence. “It is difficult, but at the end of the day, our team consists of the best players from India. It is difficult but not impossible. Other players are playing for the country based on their performance. Fortunately, we have a big group full of talent, which is why we are able to compete away from home,” he said.

Much of India’s woes in the first Test were linked to poor fielding. A number of dropped catches resulted in the Gill-led side becoming the first team in Test history to lose despite scoring five centuries in two innings.

Gill further explained why fielding in the slips is difficult in English conditions and hoped it was a one-time game for his team.

“The ball swings behind the wicket, and sometimes it is difficult to see the ball behind the wicket. At the end of the day, we are aware of the difficulties, but we have practised a lot. It is a one-time game where you drop five-seven catches, and hopefully, it doesn’t happen again,” Gill explained.