"Got to play him if he is ready and fit" - Australian World Cup winner opens up on Jasprit Bumrah ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 2nd Test

Australia women's team captain Alyssa Healy believes that Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah should be picked for the second Test against England if he is fit and ready to play. Healy said that the decision to play the 31-year-old could be left to him and questioned if India were willing to take that risk of playing him in the match.

India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate had said on Monday that Bumrah was available for the second match, but a decision on him featuring in the second Test had not yet been made.

"Maybe (leave the decision upto him) because this is a big break between Test matches. So do you take the punt and go 'lets have him for this game' knowing it is not a must win but it is probably a good one to win. You got to play him if he is ready and fit," Healy told Willow Talk podcast.

Former Australian gloveman Brad Haddin said that India must be careful not to get emotional about the inclusion or exclusion of Bumrah in the playing XI. He said on the aforementioned podcast:

"Do you think they had made the decision before the Test series started what Test he was going to play? Because this is where the grey area can start. Yes, we talk about, 'okay' and we have heard the coach Gambhir come out and say, 'No, we got to monitor his workload'. But if you haven't already made the decision with your high performance staff, emotions can get involved.

"You have lost the first Test, 'Oh, you know what? Let's just play. No, no, this was our plan.' And I think India have to be really careful of that they don't let this decision become an emotional decision and become whether a sport science decision that they have planned to get him right because I am playing him."

Brad Haddin wants India to pick Jasprit Bumrah, bring in Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh for second Test

Brad Haddin said that he would pick Jasprit Bumrah for the second Test against England at Edgbaston, starting on Wednesday, July 2. He also said that he would draft Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav into the playing XI for the match. He said:

"I am playing him in this Test match, especially in England conditions because the next Test they get to might be a rain-affected Test. You just dont know what the Test will look like. So I am playing him, I am making a few changes to the Indian team."

(When asked if he would play Kuldeep Yadav, Haddin said:

"Yeah and Arshdeep Singh."

Alyssa Healy said that India should consider giving Nitish Kumar Reddy a chance in the second Test, based on his performances in Australia.

"I think Nitish Kumar Reddy has to come in as well. I think he's going to bowl more. I think we mentioned this last week. Shardul Thakur played, hardly bowled. He's not taking the pressure off anyone. Nitish Kumar Reddy is probably on par with the bat but fresh off making runs in Australia. Like why wouldn't you go with that guy?" Healy said.

India have never won a Test match at Edgbaston, having lost seven out of the eight Tests that they have played there.