[WATCH] England captain Ben Stokes comments on Jasprit Bumrah's availability for the second ENG vs IND Test

England skipper Ben Stokes has shrugged off the talk around Jasprit Bumrah’s workload and availability for the remainder of the Test series, calling it “India’s problem to deal with.” Speaking ahead of the second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, starting July 2 in Birmingham, Stokes said he remains focused on leading his own side and expects a spirited fight from the visitors regardless of who takes the field for India.

India had announced before the series that Bumrah would only feature in three of the five Tests due to workload management concerns. The premier fast bowler bowled 44 overs in the first Test at Headingley and was India’s best performer with the ball. However, with the team losing the opener from a dominant position, his presence or absence has become a hot topic ahead of the second match.

Stokes is not worried about Bumrah, expects tough fight from India

But Stokes made it clear he isn’t concerned. “That’s India’s problem. They will deal with it. I am the captain of England,” he said in a pre-match press conference. Despite Bumrah possibly being rested, Stokes isn’t underestimating the opposition. “They’re a good team. They always fight hard. very passionate. We don’t take anything from last week for granted. We start at 0-0 again,” he said.

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Stokes also acknowledged the pressure Indian players face, noting, “There’s always pressure on international athletes, but when you play for India, it’s probably a bit more than any other nation. They’re a proud nation.”

With Bumrah unlikely to play, Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh are in contention to replace him in the Indian XI. Meanwhile, England have retained the same playing XI from Leeds, though Jofra Archer has rejoined the squad in a non-playing capacity.

On his own fitness, Stokes revealed he feels “better than ever” after recovering from a tiring first Test. “I was a shadow of myself for a few days, but I’m back now and ready to go.”