After two days, one spent travelling and the other involving a team bonding exercise, India’s cricketers hit the ground running on Friday morning at Edgbaston, the venue of the second Test starting on Wednesday, in what was officially a closed-door, off-camera training session.

The entire squad was in attendance — Harshit Rana, drafted in as cover for the Leeds Test, has been released — including Jasprit Bumrah, who, it is being said, is likely to sit out this match. Bumrah will only play two of the remaining four Tests, not ideal, but the think-tank’s decision to give him the leeway to manage his body and his workload, given what he brings to the table, is perfectly understandable.

India’s ‘only’ strike force