England skipper Ben Stokes appeared irked during the post-match press conference when his side went down to India by 336 runs in the second Test at Edgbaston. A specific question that graced him with a frown was regarding India’s star pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested for the contest.
Even without Bumrah, the Indian bowling attack was phenomenal. Mohammed Siraj
and Akash Deep rose to the occasion and gave big acts. Akash Deep took 10 wickets in the match, including a stunning six-wicket haul in the second innings, while Siraj added with a total of 7 wickets. They led India to victory in their first Test win at Edgbaston in more than half a century.
During the Post-Match Conference, Stokes said:
“I thought I’d get through a press conference without being asked about Jasprit Bumrah. We play against each other so often, you know what you will be faced with, so you put it into practice in training.”
He added:
“Try to do what you can with the coaches and the sidearms, going wide on the crease, trying to give you practice like their bowling lineup. It’s always tough to replicate something that will come down at you in a game.”
The English skipper added
:
“Again, it’ll be a decision that we have to make, seeing how everyone pulls up. We’ve had him here this week to get around the group and build him up with his workloads. Everyone’s in consideration for the game at Lord’s. We’ve had some unbelievable wins and some bad defeats. I feel I’m quite good, and the team is quite good at staying level throughout those ups and downs. We knew coming into the series it wasn’t going to be easy.”
India Confirm Bumrah’s Return for Lord’s Test
Though Bumrah missed out on the second Test to take care of his workload, India’s skipper Shubman Gill assured that the fast bowler will be back for the third Test against England at Lord’s on July 10. Bumrah’s return is likely to boost India heavily, particularly on a surface such as Lord’s where seamers tend to play a crucial role.
Bumrah’s return also suggests that pacer Prasidh Krishna may be axed from the playing XI. The team management may also reconsider the positions of Nitish Kumar Reddy and Karun Nair, who have not impressed much so far in the series.