He bowled only 19 overs in the second innings at Headingley.
According to recent sources, there’s speculation on the inclusion of Jasprit Bumrah in India’s playing XI for the second Test against England in Birmingham starting on July 2. On Tuesday, India entered the unwanted record books of losing a Test after scoring five centuries. It was also the first assignment for the newly appointed skipper, Shubman Gill. Fans are waiting in bated breath to know if Bumrah will be playing the second Test as India will look to level the five-match series.
While the sources suggest that Bumrah may not be donning the whites next week, there is no final word from the team members or management. During the post-match press conference after the Headingley loss, Gautam Gambhir quoted that there’s uncertainty on which matches Bumrah would feature in. However, it’s confirmed that he won’t be playing more than three games.
The decision comes after managing the workload for the Ahmedabad pacer. Experts have opined that another back injury may end Bumrah’s career.
The third Test is at the Lord’s, the fourth in Manchester, and the final Test at The Oval. Given that the Lord’s Cricket Ground has a tilted field, supporting the batters further, Bumrah would skip the next game and prep his body for the third Test.
Another string of speculations suggests that Bumrah would avoid playing consecutive matches to allow his body to rest and recover from bowling long spells in Tests.
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The Headingley Test was an example of how overdependent India’s results are on one pacer. The visitors looked confident to gain a lead in the series until Bumrah had a bad day at the office. Though he picked up five wickets in the first innings, he returned wicketless in the second innings.
Moreover, he was not given the new ball on the last day of the Test. Eventually, England chased down 371 to win the match.
In Bumrah’s absence, Gill will need to include either Arshdeep Singh or Akash Deep. He will also have to strengthen trust and confidence in his other bowlers – Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, among others.
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