Indian cricket team skipper Shubman Gill confirmed that star pacer Jasprit Bumrah will be back in action for the third Test match against England at Lord’s. Bumrah did not feature in the second Test match at Edgbaston after playing in the series opener. Following India’s historic win at Edgbaston, Gill was asked whether Bumrah will be playing in the third Test and the India skipper simply replied – “Definitiely”. “All the things we spoke about after the first game, we were spot on. Our bowling and fielding was tremendous to see. We knew if we get 400-500 on this kind of wicket, we’ll be in the game. Not everytime we’re going to drop that many catches. He bowled with so much heart. The areas and lengths he hit, he was getting the ball to move both ways. On wickets like this, it’s difficult to do that. I’d say I’m feeling comfortable with my game. If we win the series with my contributions, I’ll feel happier. I’ve said this before, want to play as a batsman, think as a batsman,” Gill said after the match.

Coming to the match, Akash Deep picked a superb 6-99 to complete a ten-wicket match haul as India beat England by 336 runs to get their first-ever Test match win at Edgbaston on Sunday. The statement victory has also meant that India have levelled the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series at 1-1.

India came into this game without Jasprit Bumrah, not including Kuldeep Yadav and being 0-1 down after losing the unloseable Test at Leeds. Akash, who came in as Bumrah’s replacement for this game, stepped in to produce a fast bowling performance for ages – troubling batters with the new ball on a flat pitch to bowl out England for 271 on the last day, with more than a session to spare.

Akash has also become just the second Indian bowler to take a ten-wicket haul in a Test in England after Chetan Sharma took 10-188, co-incidentally at Birmingham back in 1986. He was well supported by Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar taking a wicket each, with Shubman Gill, who hit 269 and 161, getting his first victory as India’s Test captain.

(With IANS inputs)