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2nd Test: Bumrah’s Absence at Edgbaston “Very Hard to Believe,” says Ravi Shastri

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has expressed surprise and disappointment over Jasprit Bumrah’s absence in the second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series against England at Edgbaston.

Birmingham: Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has expressed surprise and disappointment over Jasprit Bumrah’s absence in the second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series against England at Edgbaston.

India, trailing 1-0 in the five-match series, opted to rest their premier fast bowler Bumrah, citing workload management. Akash Deep replaced him in the playing XI. However, Shastri believes the timing of the decision is questionable.

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Lord’s Can Wait, Edgbaston Was Critical, Says Shastri

India’s skipper Shubman Gill explained at the toss that Bumrah was being saved for the third Test at Lord’s due to the conditions expected there. But Shastri strongly disagreed with this approach.

Team Combination: More Batting Depth, But Missing Firepower

India brought in Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy in place of B Sai Sudharsan and Shardul Thakur, adding batting depth. However, Bumrah’s absence has notably impacted the bowling strength.

Stuart Broad Also Surprised by Bumrah’s Omission

Former England pacer Stuart Broad echoed Shastri’s sentiment.

Broad also noted that India may want to use Bumrah at Lord’s due to swing-friendly conditions, but questioned if that was worth the risk of dropping him at Edgbaston.

India Trails in Series, Faces Selection Dilemma

With India already trailing in the series, the decision to rest Bumrah could become a major talking point if the team fails to level the series at Edgbaston. The third Test is scheduled at Lord’s from July 10.

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