Uncertainty around the inclusion of Jasprit Bumrah only benefits England, writes LAWRENCE BOOTH as mystery surrounds world's best bowler ahead of second test at Edgbaston

The uncertainty surrounding the inclusion of Jasprit Bumrah, the world’s best bowler, in Wednesday's second Rothesay Test at Edgbaston has benefited only one team – and it’s not India.

It felt like a strategical blunder when chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar announced at the pre-departure press conference in Mumbai that Bumrah would play in only three of this summer’s five Tests. 

And it feels even worse now that India are 1–0 down, having lost an apparently unlosable game at Headingley and already used up one-third of his quota.

England are occasionally criticised for announcing their side 48 hours before each game, as they did again in Birmingham today when they confirmed an unchanged XI, and no immediate return for Jofra Archer. 

Critics believe it provides opponents with unnecessary pre-match information, but England like to give their players peace of mind. Since they believe the news will leak out anyway, they are happy to make it public.

But for India to go so early on Bumrah has created a psychological micro-climate of its own – with England bouyed the fact that he will play in only two of the remaining four Tests, and India desperately trying to work out what they want from the non-Bumrah games to come.

His importance to their chances was clear enough before the first Test, and became doubly so during it. While he collected five for 83 in the first innings to his team-mates’ five for 356, his failure to take a wicket in the second left the Indians, predictably, with nowhere to go: England knocked off 371 with ease.

Bumrah himself wants to play as many games as possible, but India feel their hands have been tied by the back trouble that flared up towards the end of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia in January. 

In that series, he was captain for the first Test, while Rohit Sharma was on paternity leave, and for the fifth, when Rohit dropped himself, before quitting Test cricket in May

But because India feared another five-match series in England could cause longer-term physical damage to their prize asset, they felt the need to explain why he wouldn’t be taking over from Rohit on a permanent basis. 

Had Bumrah not been in the captaincy mix, India could have managed his summer schedule on the quiet. Instead, they have giftwrapped England a ready-made morale boost.

And since Bumrah is as keen as any touring cricketer to play at Lord’s, venue for the third Test, it is hard to see how he plays here at Edgbaston.

It all meant India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate sounded defensive as he suggested that a draw this week in Birmingham wouldn’t be the worst outcome.

‘We feel we can go 1–1 or keep the score at 1–0 without Jasprit,’ he said. ‘That’s putting the eggs in the back end of the series. We’re going to need him at some stage as well. You’ve got to decide when you’re going to play your strongest suit. But the bowlers are very well aware that they need to chip in with wickets.’

To add to the sense that India’s primary concern is to avoid going two down, ten Doeschate also referenced a mixed weather forecast, with rain possible on the first, fourth and fifth days. And he suggested that, while the inclusion of a second spinner was likely, the need for batting depth would favour the off-spinning all-rounder Washington Sundar ahead of left-arm wrist-spinner – and tailender – Kuldeep Yadav.

Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar Reddy, who scored a century against Australia at the MCG, could further strengthen the batting if he replaces Shardul Thakur.

Such is Bumrah’s value that his likely absence here has sent the Indian brains trust into a spin. England’s challenge, by contrast, will be not to get too excited about the prospect of sidestepping Bumrah.

‘I think the worry for us would be to focus too much on Jasprit, even though he is a world-class player,’ said Chris Woakes, diplomatically. ‘They’ve got guys that can come in and cause us issues.’

Who they are, and what issues they can cause, went unexplained. For the moment, England are happy for India to do the talking.