He bowled the most overs by an Indian pacer in the Headingley Test, 1.4 more than Prasidh Krishna.
Indian team management’s decision to rest pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for the second Test against England at Edgbaston didn’t go well with former legendary players – Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar. Shastri and Gavaskar expressed their frustration during the official broadcast, calling it baffling and hard to believe. Overall, India made three changes to their playing XI for the second Test, bringing in Akash Deep for Bumrah, while Sai Sudharsan and Shardul Thakur have been replaced with Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar.
The call to rest Bumrah was driven by a long-term plan, with three more Tests to follow. But the criticism revolves around timing. The Shubman Gill-led side is trailing 0-1 in the five-match series. Another loss will leave India on the cusp of yet another series loss.
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The former Indian coach was upset to leave out Bumrah for an important match in the series.
“If you look Michael Atherton said at the time of the toss, look at the run India has had, this becomes a very, very important Test match. You lost three against New Zealand, three against Australia, and you lost the first match here. You want to get back to the winning ways. And you have the best fast bowler in the world on your side, and you sit him out after seven days of rest is something hard to believe,” said former India head coach Shastri.
Ahead of the first session, he continued to speak about India’s selection calls from the commentary box.
“I think it should be taken out of the player’s hand: it should be the captain and coaching staff that should decide who should be in the playing XI,” he added.
Shastri’s remarks come on the back of Bumrah deciding to play only three of the five Tests. Bumrah’s decision is driven by workload management due to his recurring back injury. The reappearance during the last Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 ruled Bumrah out of action for the Champions Trophy 2025 and a few initial matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The right-arm pacer featured in the first Test against England after nearly 20 days’ break after the IPL 2025. The speedster bowled 43.4 overs in the Headingley Test and picked up a five-wicket haul in the first innings. However, there was a seven-day gap between the two Tests, a good amount of time to recover.
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Echoing Shastri’s sentiments, Gavaskar also questioned the team selection, especially the exclusions of chinaman Kuldeep Yadav and Bumrah.
“Kuldeep isn’t picked. Bumrah is saved just to play at Lord’s. This management’s decisions are baffling,” said Gavaskar on the official broadcast (Sony Sports Network) after the toss. “I’m a little baffled that Kuldeep wasn’t picked, because on a pitch like this, where everybody says there’s a little more turn. So, where you needed strengthening was in the wicket-taking department, not so much in the batting.”
Kuldeep could have been an attacking bowler, especially in the absence of India’s premium fast bowler. He also has an exceptional record against the hosts, having picked up 19 wickets in four Tests at 20.15 in 2024. Additionally, England’s unfamiliarity with Kuldeep’s style of bowling could have helped India, especially on the fourth and fifth days. Notably, the Chinaman last played an overseas Test in 2019 against Australia in Sydney.
India’s performance in recent times hasn’t been impressive. They have managed just one win in their last nine red-ball matches, including a whitewash at home against New Zealand, a 3-1 defeat in BGT, and a series opener against England. Adding to their concerns is their dismal record at Edgbaston, seven losses and a draw in eight games.
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