Edgbaston Test: Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna Set to Miss the 2nd Test – Here’s Why

After suffering a defeat in the Leeds Test match, the Indian cricket team is desperate to bounce back in the series. To do that, Team India must win the next match against England at any cost, which begins on July 2 at Edgbaston in Birmingham. However, the team might take the field without star pacer Jasprit Bumrah, whose workload is currently being managed. In addition to Bumrah, fast bowler Prasidh Krishna could also be left out of the playing XI for this crucial game. This possibility has arisen based on scenes from Team India’s recent practice session at Edgbaston.

Preparations Underway for Second Test at Edgbaston

The second Test of the series between India and England starts on July 2 at Edgbaston. Wasting no time, Team India has already begun preparations. Under the supervision of head coach Gautam Gambhir, the team began intensive training at Edgbaston five to six days ahead of the match. During the first practice session on Friday, June 27, the team focused on fielding, batting, bowling, and fitness drills — the latter being a key part of every training session.

Prasidh Krishna Skips Bowling in Practice

According to a report by Media, during Team India’s first practice session at Edgbaston, almost every player participated in either batting or bowling drills after fitness and fielding training. However, Prasidh Krishna was notably absent from bowling. The report claims that both Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna did not bowl in the nets and only took part in fitness routines. Senior pacer Mohammed Siraj also refrained from bowling but did spend some time on batting practice — focusing specifically on short-pitched deliveries.

Is Prasidh Krishna Also Set to Miss the Test?

This development has raised questions: Could Prasidh Krishna also be benched along with Bumrah for the upcoming Test? Bumrah’s absence from the Edgbaston Test is already part of a pre-planned workload management strategy, so him not bowling in practice is understandable. However, Prasidh not bowling has sparked speculation that he may be dropped from the playing XI.

One possible reason is his underwhelming performance in the Leeds Test. While Prasidh did take 5 wickets, he conceded runs at an expensive rate — 6 runs per over in both innings. In the first innings, he gave away 128 runs in 20 overs, and in the second, 92 runs in 15 overs. Naturally, such figures put a question mark on his spot in the starting lineup.

As for Siraj, despite not bowling in the practice session, his place in the XI is considered secure, especially in Bumrah's absence, given that he is now the senior-most pacer in the squad. Additionally, his performance in Leeds was better compared to Prasidh.