Team India has made three significant changes to their playing XI for the second Test of the five-match series against England, beginning Wednesday, July 2, at Edgbaston in Birmingham. With the aim of levelling the series after a five-wicket defeat in the opener at Headingley, the visitors have brought in Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and rested Jasprit Bumrah, while Sai Sudharsan and Shardul Thakur have been left out.
England skipper Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bat first, giving India an early challenge. India’s new-look XI includes three all-rounders in an effort to strengthen both batting depth and bowling balance—a key area of concern after repeated lower-order collapses cost them the first Test.
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Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul retain their spots at the top after solid starts in Leeds. However, debutant Sai Sudharsan has been replaced by Washington Sundar, who offers versatility with both bat and ball. Sudharsan scored 30 in the second innings after a duck in the first, but his exclusion is seen as a strategic move to bolster the spin department rather than a reflection of form.
Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar Reddy replaces Shardul Thakur, who struggled with both bat and ball in the first Test. Thakur picked up just two wickets for 89 runs across 16 overs and contributed only five runs with the bat.
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With Bumrah rested to manage his workload, India’s pace department now relies on Mohammed Siraj and Reddy, while Sundar adds spin alongside Ravindra Jadeja. India’s reshuffled XI signals a clear intent to fight back in the series. While the loss at Headingley exposed some frailties, the inclusion of all-rounders and additional spin could prove vital on what is expected to be a dry and turning Edgbaston pitch.
THE NUMBERS 3 OF INDIA FROM BGT :
1st Test – Padikkal
2nd Test – Shubman Gill
3rd Test – Gill ( Dropped)
4th Test – kl Rahul
5th Test – Gill
1st Test – Sai Sudharsan
2nd Test – Karun Nair (Sai dropped)– It’s Gautam Gambhir Era in test Cricket
— MANU. (@IMManu_18) July 2, 2025
Dropping Shardul Thakur is the biggest mistake India has made today. #ENGvsIND #TestCricket
— Rohit Ghosh (@rohitghosh123) July 2, 2025
After the retirements of Rohit, Virat, and Ashwin, a key question for the new India era – and the main skill needed from management – is how they blood youngsters into the Test team.
Anyway, 23 year old Sai Sudharsan has been dropped after one Test, where he batted first drop
— Ben Jones (@benjonescricket) July 2, 2025
You should be slapped if you drop a player after one bad game.
This is injustice to Sai Sudharsan.
No clarity on Karun Nair role as well.
Why so much panic after playing the first test well for the first 4 days!!
— Enaam (@iamenaam) July 2, 2025
Feel for Sai Sudharsan – he has been dropped after 1 Test due to team combination. pic.twitter.com/wxS8cZkE7m
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 2, 2025
-Sai Sudharsan dropped for no reason
-Kuldeep is yet to get a gameGambhir era not holding back 🥵 pic.twitter.com/SVYXj1dPkd
— TukTuk Academy (@TukTuk_Academy) July 2, 2025
Gambhir is a bloody fool. Karun ahead of Sai? No Kuldeep? Disgrace.
— Jaggs (@jaggstalkssport) July 2, 2025
Why give a Test debut to Sai Sudharsan if he was going to be dropped after 1 match?? It’s not like He is injured. pic.twitter.com/LlbdXBzTTJ
— Aditya Saha (@Adityakrsaha) July 2, 2025
