India’s Test Victory: Gill’s Leadership and Bumrah’s Comeback

Criticism and Victory at Edgbaston

Shubman Gill faced criticism for dropping Jasprit Bumrah from the second Test against England. The decision was made to manage Bumrah’s workload. India was trailing 0-1 in the series, so this move surprised many.

Akash Deep’s Stellar Performance

However, the tide turned in Birmingham over five days. Akash Deep replaced Bumrah and took 10 wickets. Alongside Gill’s twin centuries and Mohammed Siraj’s six wickets, India won by 336 runs, leveling the series.

Bumrah’s Playful Banter

A viral video from Edgbaston shows Bumrah teasing Gill about his bowling. Bumrah reminded Gill of the 11 runs he conceded in two overs during the 2023 ODI World Cup against the Netherlands.

Bumrah joked, “He was getting cut during the World Cup, do you remember? In 2023, against the Netherlands, he bowled and got cut repeatedly. And then you got banned from bowling.”

Gill’s Bowling Record

Gill has bowled only seven balls in his 34 Test matches. In ODIs, he bowled three overs, giving away 25 runs without taking any wickets.

Bumrah’s Return for Lord’s Test

Gill confirmed that Bumrah will return for the third Test at Lord’s. This means India might have to bench either Nitish Kumar Reddy or Prasidh Krishna.

Reddy and Krishna’s Performance

Reddy scored single-digit runs in both innings. Krishna took only one wicket, conceding 111 runs. In the first Test, Krishna managed just five wickets in both innings.