India still weighing Bumrah selection, eye two-spinner gamble at Edgbaston

India have no fitness concerns around Jasprit Bumrah, but they're still weighing whether to unleash their premier quick at Edgbaston. The 31-year-old's participation has been the subject of intense discussion, with a pre-series agreement in place to feature him in just three of the five Tests. Even though a full week separates the second Test from India's defeat in Leeds, the tight turnaround to the third Test at Lord's has prompted the management to consider holding Bumrah back.

"Bumrah is ready to play," assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said on Monday (June 30), two days before the Edgbaston Test. "It's how we manage these four Tests. So if we feel like there's value in playing him in this Test, we'll make that call at the very last minute. I'm talking about weather, how the pitch is going to play, are we better off holding him back for Lord's and maybe Manchester or The Oval? So it's all those factors, but you've seen him train yesterday, he trained a little bit today. It's not like he's not fit to play. It's just trying to fit those puzzle pieces to get the most out of what we know we do have from him."

Despite being 1-0 down in the series, India are not rushing into a decision. Weather could intervene - with light rain forecast on Days 1, 4, and 5 - and the surface itself is showing signs of dryness that might favour India's slower bowlers. Given those factors, they believe they still have the tools to level the series, or maintain the scoreline, without deploying Bumrah, and perhaps use him more effectively at Lord's, where the famed slope can accentuate his skills.

"We also feel we can go 1-1 or keep the score at 1-0 without Jasprit, and then again, that's putting the eggs in the back end of the series," ten Doeschate said. "We're going to need him at some stage as well. You have got to decide when you're going to play your strongest suit.

"And that's what I was talking about the weather and all that, but we feel that whatever we put out there, we can compete in this Test match, and you know, we came pretty close without Jasprit in the second innings when he didn't get any wickets, and you can't win the Test series with just one bowler in any case, and the bowlers are very well aware they need to chip in with wickets. Sorry, I can't give you a more firm answer, but we'll work out in the next 48 or 24 hours how we're going to manage Jasprit."

The team selection conversation extends beyond just Bumrah. India are actively considering playing two spinners on a pitch with patchy grass but dryness underneath. That puts both Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar in the fray to partner Ravindra Jadeja, with the final choice hinging on the balance between attack and batting depth.

"It's just which two we play," ten Doeschate said. "And that goes back to juggling the batting depth. All three spinners are bowling very nicely. Washi is batting very nicely. So it's just which combination do we go with? The allrounder-spinner or the out-and-out spinner? And obviously you have to play the bowling allrounder again.

"So there are so many different variables. The wicket has got 11 mils [mm of grass] at the moment, 11 or 12, I can't remember which of the two, but it's quite grassy and patchy. It's quite dry underneath, but there's also rain forecast for Wednesday, so again trying to weigh up the two options of how we want to go attack-wise, but I'm pretty sure two spinners will play in this Test."

That India remain reluctant to sacrifice batting depth is no surprise. But it is at odds from captain Shubman Gill's bold pre-series statement that he was willing to field four tail-enders in pursuit of 20 wickets.

"We have [discussed playing four tailenders]. And when you're 430 for 3, it's absolutely fine, but when you're 200 for 5, it's a very different ball game.

"So, in terms of managing the strategy there, we're looking at each bowler individually, what we feel they can get wickets wise, and then it's just trying to balance up and trying to calculate as best you can what the best chance of getting into the Test match, but you need 20 wickets. So the attacking part is obviously finding someone who can get wickets as well, and we are grappling with that. We don't stop talking about that. We're trying to figure it out," ten Doeschate said.

Much of that balancing act revolves around the allrounder slot, which could be a direct shoot-out between Washington and Nitish Kumar Reddy, India's centurion from the Boxing Day Test last December. At training, Nitish was actively involved in the slip cordon - alternating with Sai Sudharsan at fourth slip and gully - while Karun Nair, KL Rahul, and Gill retained their positions from Leeds.

Though ten Doeschate framed the changes as part of creating depth in fielding roles, he hinted strongly at Nitish's growing claim to a Test spot.

"He's [Reddy] very close to getting a game," ten Doeschate said. "Obviously, he was fantastic in Australia, coming into the team and playing the way he did. We just felt that on balance, for the last game, we wanted to go with the bowling allrounder, which we thought Shardul was slightly ahead on the bowling front. We're looking at ways of rejigging the puzzle here so we can get a batting allrounder in and obviously Nitish is our premium batting allrounder at the moment. So I would say he's a very good chance to play this Test."