Funny fight between Morne Morkel, Akashdeep and Arshdeep Singh ahead of second Test between England and India

Team India’s preparations for the second Test against England in Birmingham took a light-hearted turn when bowling coach Morne Morkel was spotted playfully wrestling with pacers Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep during a net session. The fun moment came as India looked to bounce back in the series, having lost the opening Test in Leeds, where England took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. The second Test is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, July 2, at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground.

The Indian squad has already reached Birmingham and has begun training in earnest. During one of the practice sessions, cameras captured Morne Morkel engaging Arshdeep Singh in a friendly wrestling tussle, which soon turned into a fun three-way battle as Akash Deep joined in. The moment brought smiles to the faces of the support staff and players, helping ease the tension in the camp following their defeat at Headingley.

Neither Arshdeep Singh nor Akash Deep featured in India’s playing XI for the first Test, where the team opted to go with Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj as their main pace options. Whether the second Test sees changes in the bowling lineup remains to be seen, but the team appears to be in good spirits heading into the clash.

“Pressure is Mounting on Gautam Gambhir”: Aakash Chopra on India’s Red-Ball Struggles

Meanwhile, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra voiced concerns about the growing pressure on head coach Gautam Gambhir amid India’s poor performances in Test cricket. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra remarked, "Everyone will be questioned. It's cricket's principle in our country. If things go well, everyone is given credit, but when things go wrong, criticism is absolutely obvious. I will still be more patient with Gill because he has become the captain just now. So he will take time to understand things. However, the pressure is mounting on Gautam Gambhir."

Watch the video here

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Chopra highlighted India’s underwhelming record in red-ball cricket under Gambhir’s tenure, saying, "If you look at his returns in red-ball cricket, you will find that he has won very few matches. They won two matches against Bangladesh, one against Australia, lost three against New Zealand, then lost three against Australia, and then lost one against England. So we are only losing, we aren't winning." As the team regroup itself for the second Test, all eyes will be on both players and management in making it a turnaround.