The second Test match of the series between England and India is at Edgbaston. English captain Ben Stokes won the toss and decided to bowl first. There are many big changes in India’s playing XI. Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, and Sai Sudharsan are missing the second Test of the series. They have been replaced by Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, and Akash Deep. Kuldeep Yadav, however, has not been named for the final XI. Several veteran greats had protested against leaving out Kuldeep for the Edgbaston Test. The captain, Shubman Gill, explained why Kuldeep was left out at the toss.

Why didn’t Kuldeep get a chance?

Following the defeat in the Headingley Test, there were mass calls for Kuldeep Yadav to be part of the playing XI. Observing the pitch at Edgbaston, it appeared certain that Kuldeep would find a spot in the final XI. But the chinaman bowler was not chosen, and Washington Sundar was chosen over him. During the toss, Captain Gill justified the reason behind not picking Kuldeep. He stated, “We wanted to play Kuldeep in this Test match, but our lower-order batting in the last match was quite disappointing. That’s why we decided to add more depth to our batting lineup.”

Three changes in Team India

Team India has effected three changes to their playing XI at Edgbaston. Jasprit Bumrah has been rested due to workload management in the second Test. He has been replaced by Akash Deep, who has been given a chance. Shardul Thakur has been dropped, and the team management has banked on Nitish Kumar Reddy. Further, Sai Sudharsan has been omitted, while Washington Sundar has found a place in the playing XI.