"I was talking to Shubman...": PBKS' Harpreet Brar speaks on how he joined India's net session at Birmingham

Birmingham [UK], June 29 (ANI): As Team India gears up for the second Test against England, the left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh was joined by Punjab Kings (PBKS) teammate, and spinner Harpreet Brar and Chandigarh pacer Jagjit Singh Sandhu.

The second Test will kickstart from July 2 onwards, and left-arm pacer Arshdeep, who is India's leading T20I wicket-taker, would be eyeing a potential Test debut after a poor show from Indian pacers, except for Jasprit Bumrah, at Leeds.

Speaking in a video by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Brar said that his wife lives near Birmingham, and skipper Shubman Gill texted him, prompting him to come to practice.

"My wife is from Swindon. It is very close to Birmingham, it is a 1-1.5 hour drive. I was talking to Shubman; he texted me yesterday. So I thought, let us go and practice there," he said.

He also expressed happiness with Arshdeep's journey over the years, saying that he feels "proud" of his performances.

Brar impressed in PBKS' runners-up finish in the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year, taking 10 wickets in eight games at an average of 19.00.

Arshdeep clearly enjoyed the arrival of Brar and Sandhu, saying, "When you come to a foreign country and see familiar faces, you can enjoy together."

Sandhu, the 28-year-old pacer, has played 24 first-class games, taking 82 wickets at an average of 24.13 and scoring 317 runs at an average of 16.68 with a fifty to his name.

Recalling his journey with the Indian team players, Sandhu said, "Rishabh Pant and I played Under-19 Zonal one-day cricket together. When it was my last U19 season, Gill had his first. I played with Akash Deep in the Duleep Trophy, played with Washington Sundar in the U19 zone as an opponent. Arshdeep is also my junior, used to tell him how to bowl, take a run-up and all. Today he was asking me things as well."

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)