ENG vs IND second Test | India keeps its cards close to the chest

Watching a nets session ahead of an all-important cricket match is like sitting down to solve a crossword puzzle.

There may be what one considers straightforward or direct clues on offer, and there may be the cryptic ones which have multiple layers of meaning.

India’s first open practice session ahead of the second Test against England on a sweltering morning here at Edgbaston on Monday put those assembled through a similar exercise. Then, in the media briefing that followed, India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate basically declared that every player on the roster was in the reckoning to play.

Permutations and combinations

Whether the Dutchman and the rest of the Indian think-tank fulfilled the job of an ace crossword-setter who disguises definitions masterfully within clues will be known in due course. But there were enough hints to set off multiple permutations and combinations.

In training, Jasprit Bumrah had a long chat with coach Gautam Gambhir and had limited bowling. Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep went all out. Kuldeep Yadav spun a brand-new red cherry with all the vigour in the world and offie Washington Sundar rolled his arm over too. Nitish Kumar Reddy batted along with the top-order and even took catches in the slip cordon.

The biggest source of suspense going into the tie, however, is around Bumrah’s availability and whether India has the firepower to dismiss the opposition twice without him.

The confirmation beforehand that the maverick pacer would play just three of the five Tests is a double-edged sword. While it may lend clarity to India’s plans it can also ease the opposition’s nerves. With India already 0-1 down in the five-match series after the defeat in Leeds, it has to find ways to win at least one contest without Bumrah to have any hopes of clinching the series.

“We picked the squad on trust, not hope,” declared Gambhir in the aftermath of the Headingley reverse. “We have some inexperience, but they will get better. For four days [of the first Test], we were in a position [to push for a win]. Even on day five… so we believe that these bowlers will deliver.”

Akash, Prasidh and Arshdeep Singh have played seven, four and zero Tests respectively but that doesn’t preclude them from producing fine performances. Akash, in fact, bowled really well in his last two Tests against Australia in Brisbane and Melbourne. Prasidh improved through the first outing against England and even received a massive vote of confidence from Gambhir.

The weather and the pitch are variables that will affect selections. The summer in England has been brutal but rain is never far away in these parts. ten Doeschate then saying that the strip was quite “grassy and patchy” and “dry underneath”, only added to the intrigue.

“There is a very strong chance of playing two spinners, but it is about which two we play,” he said. “It is about juggling the batting depth. All three spinners are bowling well and Washi is batting very nicely. But I am pretty sure two spinners will play in this Test.”

That’s the closest anyone got to a direct clue on Monday. The solution will be revealed in less than 48 hours.