India may shuffle pack and opt to play without their ace

Worries about Bumrah's back means tourists could wait for Lord's to pick their premier fast bowler

- Ali Martin Edgbaston

One of the many delights of leafy south Birmingham is when an international cricket team is in town and residents stumble across them training on the Colts Ground at Edgbaston. Folks could be heading for a stroll in Cannon Hill Park, or their weekly shop at Aldi, only to suddenly find themselves watching Jasprit Bumrah let fly. Sadly, the fences were covered with tarpaulins yesterday after some hecklers over the weekend. There was a decent subplot playing out inside as India trained, too, over whether Bumrah will play the sold-out second Test that starts tomorrow. Having bowled these past few days, the man himself offered a passing "hopefully".

Things are not so straightforward here. The plan has long been that India's spearhead plays three of the five Tests to manage his lower back, something reaffirmed by Gautam Gambhir, the head coach, after the loss at Headingley. Now trailing 1-0 in the series, and with Bumrah having had a week to recover from that match, one would think this is the time to play the second of those three cards.