Team India captain Shubman Gill has revealed that the visitors will not be afraid to play a second spinner in the second Test against England at Edgbaston in Birmingham if the conditions warrant it. Shubman Gill said that conditions in the current series have not been typical of England, despite the fact that playing two slow bowlers in Test matches is uncommon in England.
Ravindra Jadeja was India’s only spinner going into the first Test match against England at Headingley in Leeds. With just one wicket taken during the game, the left-arm spinner was unable to create an impression. In the end, the Test was lost by five wickets for the visitors.
Shubman Gill stated at a news conference prior to the game that if India had used two spinners in the fourth innings, they may have been much more successful with the ball. The first batter made the following observation:
“It is not common to see two spinners in England. But the weather was not typical. It rained a lot and the sun was shining. In the last match also, if we had an extra spinner in the 4th inning, the game could have been better. There were some patches in the wicket which we could have exploited.”
Shubman Gill
Energised for Edgbaston 🙌
Gearing up for the 2nd #ENGvIND Test 👌👌#TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/XNnOWC3WyC
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 1, 2025
The 25-year-old went on to say that the spin bowler had an easier time keeping runs in check than the pacers, especially when the ball was old and not swinging. Gill said that if India faced comparable circumstances in Birmingham for the second Test, they might consider using two spinners. He added:
“The wickets were also good for batting. So, if the fast bowlers are not creating enough chances for the fast bowlers, then we feel that maybe a second spinner on these kinds of wickets will at least contain a run till the second new ball comes. So, looking at the last match, I felt that if the wicket is going to be similar to how it was in the last match, then a second spinner won’t be a bad option.”
Shubman Gill
𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽𝘀! 👌
Bowlers day out with the bat in #TeamIndia nets 👍 👍#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/gBaCRspa7R
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 1, 2025Jasprit Bumrah’s availability for the second Test was also confirmed by Gill during the press conference. However, he noted that after assessing the surface, India would make a final decision regarding the playing XI.
India likely to make multiple changes for 2nd Test against England at Edgbaston
India will probably make at least a few changes for the Birmingham Test, regardless of whether Bumrah plays or is rested. Arshdeep Singh, a left-arm pacer, can get his Test debut if Bumrah is rested.
Many experts believe left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav should be picked in the playing XI instead of Shardul Thakur, who was quite unsuccessful in Leeds. In order to make room for Nitish Kumar Reddy to enter as a batting all-rounder, Karun Nair is also being pushed up to No. 3.
