Following India's Headingley defeat, Jasprit Bumrah's availability for the second Test at Edgbaston remains uncertain due to workload concerns. Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep are in contention to replace him, offering contrasting pace options.

After the Headingley Test defeat, losing by five wickets to England, Team India will now shift their focus towards the second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Edgbaston in Birmingham, which will start on July 2.

The visitors, under the leadership of Shubman Gill, did not have an ideal start to the Test series against England, as the middle-order faltered and India’s bowling, except for Jasprit Bumrah, lacked penetration on a lively Headingley pitch. India’s bowling was a talking point from the series opener, as the over-reliance on Bumrah was exposed, particularly in the second innings, where England chased down a 371-run target with ease on the final day.

Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Shardul Thakur picked wickets but failed to make a significant impact with the ball, allowing England’s aggressive batting approach to dominate the match. Jasprit Bumrah picked five wickets in the first innings, but surprisingly went wicketless in the second innings, as England openers, especially Ben Duckett, counterattacked with fearless strokeplay, neutralising his threat effectively.

Bumrah’s availability for the Edgbaston Test

As Team India begins their preparation for the second Test, there is uncertainty looming over Jasprit Bumrah's participation in the second Test. Ahead of the Test series, Bumrah himself confirmed that he would not be playing all five Tests of the ongoing Test series. After his five-wicket haul in the Headingley Test, former India batting legend turned commentator Sunil Gavaskar urged Bumrah to play all five Tests.

There has been a chorus for Bumrah to play the entire Test series, given the weak bowling line-up, but head coach Gautam Gambhir was firm on having the pace spearhead in three matches, highlighting the workload concerns.

Jasprit Bumrah travelled with the squad to Birmingham, where India will play their second Test against England at Edgbaston. However, the right-arm pacer was not part of the team’s training session. As per the report by ESPN Cricinfo, the chances of Bumrah playing for the second Test are low, but ‘entirely ruled out’.

Reportedly, Team India management decided to play Jasprit Bumrah for the first and third Tests, with the choice to be made for the fourth or fifth Test depending on how the series unfolds.

Who should replace Jasprit Bumrah?

With uncertainty over Jasprit Bumrah’s participation in the Edgbaston Test, there has been discussion about who should replace the pacer spearhead in the playing XI. Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh are the two specialist pacers in contention for the spot. Akash Deep is on his second overseas tour after having played the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, while Arshdeep is on his first overseas tour with the India squad.

Akash Deep had a brilliant start to his Test career, rattling England’s top order in the Rajkot Test last year. However, the 28-year-old has not been able to push himself after his debut Test match, as he picked 15 wickets at an average of 35.20 in 12 innings. In the five-match Test series against Australia, Akash played two matches in Brisbane and Melbourne, but picked up five wickets at an average of 54.

Akash Deep often pitched the ball at a good line and length at home, but he was replicate the same on the seaming and bounce pitch, which can be evident by his performance in the Australia Test Series.

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Arshdeep Singh, on the other hand, might have experience of playing in Tests as he currently has in the T20Is, where he is one of the reliable pacers for Team India, and ODIs, but has experience of playing in red-ball cricket, plying his trade for Kent in County Championship last season, In his short with Kent, Arshdeep picked 13 wickets at an average of 41.76.

Undoubtedly, Arshdeep is one of the best white-ball bowlers for India over the last few years, but he has not yet translated into red-ball cricket, where the bowler needs to deliver longer spells and plenty of patience compared to the limited-overs format.

Arshdeep Singh brings a left-arm variation and swing

Arshdeep Singh seems to be an ideal replacement for Jasprit Bumrah if the pace spearhead decides to opt out for the Edgbaston Test. With India having two pacers in the playing XI, Arshdeep’s inclusion would bring a much-needed left-arm variation and natural swing with the new ball.

After Zaheer Khan, India have rarely had a consistent left-arm pace option in Test cricket. Arshdeep Singh’s inclusion could break that pattern, offering a different angle of attack and troubling England’s top order with the new ball. The 26-year-old not only can fetch the ball at right line and length but also swing the ball in both directions.

Stepping into the shoes of Jasprit Bumrah straightaway would be a massive challenge for Arshdeep Singh, but his ability to move the ball both ways, hit the deck, and create awkward angles could make him a valuable asset against England’s heavy batting line-up.

With Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna expected to retain their places in the playing XI despite moderate performance in the first Test, Arshdeep Singh’s inclusion could ease the pressure on the bowling attack in the second Test against England at Edgbaston.