Following a disappointing performance by India's lower order in the first Test at Headingley, the team's focus has shifted to strengthening the tail's batting resilience ahead of the crucial second Test against England in Birmingham. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a video capturing the bowlers' determined efforts in an intense batting session during training. The second Test match of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 is scheduled to take place from July 2-6 at Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham.
The video showcased Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna all working hard in the nets with the bat. Akash Deep emphasized the importance of the tail's contribution with the bat. Mohammed Siraj was also seen putting in extra effort to improve his batting skills, addressing concerns about the lower order's batting abilities. However, he comically reacted to finding his bat broken during a practice session, drawing attention from fans.
The Indian team recognized some familiar faces during their practice session in Birmingham. Harpreet Brar and Jagjit Singh Sandhu, who have connections with several Indian players, participated in India's practice session. Arshdeep Singh mentioned that it felt like they had not been apart for long and reminisced about learning from Jagjit in his younger days.
The team is currently preparing for the second Test match of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025. England leads the series 1-0 after winning the first Test by five wickets. India is expected to make changes to their playing XI for the second Test to regain momentum. India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate hinted at possible changes in the playing XI during a press conference before the match in Birmingham. There is a strong possibility of including two spinners in the team, with Kuldeep Yadav or Washington Sundar potentially joining the playing XI.
Concerns exist regarding Jasprit Bumrah's workload management, making him likely to miss the second Test match. However, he is expected to play in the third Test. Gautam Gambhir's interactions with Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep suggest potential changes to the playing combination for the second Test.
Former Australian cricketer Brad Haddin has encouraged Shubman Gill to adopt a more aggressive approach and consider risk-taking strategies for the second Test. Haddin also questioned Ravindra Jadeja's effectiveness in English conditions and suggested including Kuldeep Yadav as a more attacking spin option.
Team India's training session at Edgbaston involved intense fielding drills, highlighting the importance of improving their fielding performance after multiple dropped catches in the first Test. Yashasvi Jaiswal's fielding struggles were particularly noted.
