Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has slammed the team management for resting pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for the second Test against England which began in Edgbaston on Wednesday due to workload management.
When asked by former England batter Michael Atherton at the toss, skipper Shubman Gill said that though Bumrah was fit, the management believed that the speedster will be of more importance during the third Test at Lord’s, starting July 10.
“Just to manage his workload. We did get a good break and this is an important match for us. But the third Test being at Lord’s, we think there’ll be more in that pitch so we’ll use him there,” Gill said as India unveiled three changes to the line-up. Seamer Akash Deep was roped in to replace Bumrah while Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy replaced Shardul Thakur and Sai Sudharsan.
Shastri did not approve of India’s idea to rest a fully-fit Bumrah for a crucial match after a run of poor results in Test cricket since October 2024. In their last nine Tests, India have won only one match, making it their worst run in whites in over a decade. Holding captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir accountable for the decision on the broadcast, Shastri said there “no ifs and buts” about Bumrah resting for this match. While Bumrah and the management had iterated that he would be in contention to play at best three matches due to his workload, Shastri said it shouldn’t up to the pacer to pick and choose which matches he would play.
“This becomes a very important Test match” 👀
Ravi Shastri on the impact of Jasprit Bumrah missing the second Test 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/df2Y7sXWDA
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 2, 2025
‘Captain and coach should decide the XI’
“This is a very important match, they’ve had a week off. I’m little surprised Bumrah is not playing this game. It should be taken out of the player’s hand. It should be the captain and the head coach that should decide who should be playing the 11. This is an important game in the context of the series, he should be playing this game more than anything else. Lord’s can come later. This is the important game where you have to counter-punch almost straightaway.
“Play this one. Make it 1-1 and then give him the option: you want to rest at Lord’s, rest at Lord’s. You think he’ll rest at Lord’s? No chance if you win this.
“If you look at the run, India has had, this becomes a very, very important test match. You’ve lost three against New Zealand, you’ve lost three against Australia. You’ve lost the first Test match here and you want to get back to winning ways. You have the best fast bowler in the world, and you make him sit out after seven days of rest, it’s something very hard to believe,” lamented Shastri.
Bumrah was the pick of the India bowlers in the Leeds Test, claiming his 14th five-wicket haul in the first innings of the match where he also became the first Asian bowler to record 150 SENA wickets.
