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

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.

Also Read: Hyderabad Police Nab Drug Supplier With 7.5 Kg Ganja in Kanchanbagh

“This is a very important match, they’ve had a week off. I’m little surprised Bumrah is not playing this game. This should be taken out of the player’s hand,” said Shastri during the Sky Sports broadcast.

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.

“Play this one. Make it 1-1 and then give him the option to rest at Lord’s. If you win this, there’s no chance he would want to rest. India’s recent track record — three losses each against New Zealand and Australia, and now another loss here — makes this Test critical.”

“You’ve got the best fast bowler in the world, and after seven days of rest, you make him sit out? That’s very hard to believe,” Shastri added.

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.

“A week is a very good time off for a fast bowler. His omission does surprise me. What also surprised me was Bumrah saying before the series that he would only play three of the five Tests. You usually keep that close to your chest,” said Broad.

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.