India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has revealed that star bowler Jasprit Bumrah is fit to face England in the second Test at Edgbaston this week, though coaches have not decided whether he will feature in Birmingham.
Bumrah, who took five wickets across two innings in the first Test as India fell to defeat at Headingley, will likely only feature in three matches during the five-Test series, having suffered a back injury during the final match of India's 3-1 series defeat in Australia in January.
The 31-year-old previously said he needs to “take care of my body”, telling Sky Sports before the series opener that he can likely only manage three matches at the moment, with India’s coaching staff now evaluating how to get the best use out of their main bowling threat.
And speaking to Sky, ten Doeschate said that Bumrah is “available for the game” at Edgbaston, but that coaching staff have not yet “made a call” as to whether he’ll feature.
“Obviously we know from the start he’s only going to play three out of the five [Tests], he’s obviously had eight days to recover from the last Test,” said the Dutchman.
“Given conditions and workload, and how we think we can best manage the next four games, we haven't made a call on that. We’re going to see where the other guys are with their workload as well.
“So technically, yes, he is available, but we haven't made a decision on whether he’s going to play or not yet,” he added.
When quizzed again regarding Bumrah, ten Doeschate reiterated that “if we feel like there’s value in playing him in this Test, we’ll make that call at the very last minute”.
“But, you know, I’m talking about weather, how the pitch is going to play,” he said.
“Are we better of holding him back for Lord’s and maybe Manchester or the Oval? It’s all those factors, but, you know, you’ve seen him train yesterday, train a little bit today. It’s not like he’s not fit to play.
“It’s just trying to fit those puzzle pieces to get the most out of him, out of what we know we do have from him,” he added.
India have never won a Test at Edgbaston, and their latest attempt at victory in Birmingham will begin on Wednesday, 2 July at around 11am BST.
