ENG vs IND 2025: Probable changes in Team India’s playing XI for the Edgbaston Test after Headingley loss.
Team India had one of their best batting in overseas conditions in terms of runs scored in the first Test match at Leeds. The Gill-led side posted a competitive 471 in the first innings before crossing the 350-run mark in the second.
Still they ended up losing the game by five wickets thanks to some horrendous fielding, listless bowling and batting collapses in both the innings.
As a result, this young team will need to up their game in the second Test at Edgbaston to level the series. This should be a challenge given how they let England a daunting target of 371 with ease.
They would be tempted to make some changes to their line-up going into the Edgbaston Test that starts on July 2.
Read More: ENG vs IND, 2025, 1st Test, Day 5: England chase target of 371 without breaking a sweat
Who will be No.3 and No.6 in batting order?
India had four different century makers in the Leeds Tests in their top-6. The only ones who failed to make an impression in the top-order was the debutant Sai Sudarshan who played at 3 and the returning Karun Nair coming at 6. The duo scored ducks respectively in the first innings and cumulatively added 50 runs between them in the second essay on what was a belter of a batting surface.
While this could be termed one-off, the team management might think of ringing the changes in those batting positions. For instance, Karun Nair scored a double ton in the tour game against England Lions that preceded and he could move up the batting order replacing Sudarshan if necessary.
The vacant No.6 slot could then go to Dhruv Jurel who made 227 runs across four innings against England Lions and this includes three fifty-plus scores. So the top-6 for India could look like this – KL Rahul. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel in the Edgbaston Test.
Read More: ENG vs IND, 2025: Shubman Gill appeared clueless as captain in Headingley Test
Strengthening India’s batting order
One of the main reasons why India lost momentum and then eventually the game was due to lack of batting depth. They endured horrible collapses in both innings, reducing from 430/3 to getting all-out 471/10 in the first and then from 333/4 to 372/10 in the second.
Both these outings followed the same template and this shows how fragile India’s lower-order batting looks like. So, the visiting team needs to think hard on who their No.7 should be.
In the Leeds game, Shardul Thakur played primarily because of his past experience of playing in England and his success there. However, he could not succeed with either bat or ball.
Thakur could score a mere five runs across both the innings and was the least used bowler for Team India at Leeds. The all-rounder just bowled 16 overs in the entire Test match, conceding 89 runs and picking two wickets.
Those two wickets in the second innings did temporarily shift team India’s momentum during England’s 371 chase and India might be tempted to use Thakur at a bigger bowling capacity in the second Test.
They also have an option of going back to Nitish Kumar Reddy who did an admirable job in the BGT series early this year. The youngster was India’s most consistent batter in the series, scoring 298 runs in nine innings and this includes a magnificent century at MCG.
His inclusion will bolster the batting line-up but makes the bowling unit somewhat weak. However, with Thakur not being used at Leeds as a bowler, India could deepen the batting by playing Nitish who can also contribute with the ball.
Read More: Is Rishabh Pant the greatest wicketkeeper-batter in Test history?
Changes to the bowling personnel
Jasprit Bumrah was the lone warrior for India with the ball. He bowled his heart out in the first innings picking a five-wicket haul amidst limited support from the other end.
Coach Gautam Gambhir had already stated that the star bowler will play only three of five Test matches to manage his workload.
This could mean Bumrah missing out from the second Test and tall pacer Akash Deep replacing him. Akash can swing the ball, bowl challenging lengths and could be a handful in these conditions.
The other change could be dropping Mohammed Siraj in favor of the left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh. Siraj did a great deal of bowling (41 overs), but only had two wickets to show for the efforts (2/173). Arshdeep, who is yet to debut in the longest form of the game can throw a challenge at England with the angle he creates.
Prasidh Krishna will likely retain his place as he was the one who constantly picked wickets, despite being on the expensive side.
Read More: Bumrah proving to be a one-man army for India in Tests; What’s ailing his support cast?
