Jasprit Bumrah picked a fifer in the first innings of the first Test in Leeds.
Former India captain and head coach Ravi Shastri hopes that the Indian team management opts to play Jasprit Bumrah in the upcoming second Test against England at Edgbaston, which starts from July 2 onwards.
It has been clarified that Bumrah will only play 3 Tests in the ongoing series due to his workload management. Bumrah played the first Test in Leeds and picked a fifer in the first innings. However, he didn’t have the same impact in the second innings, as he went wicketless, while England coasted to a 371-run target.
The second Test in the recently minted Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy is one of the two that Bumrah is most likely to miss. But since India is behind 0-1 in the five-match series and they depend on the pacer, it makes sense that they will use him at Edgbaston to support their attempts to tie the score at one-all.
Despite Bumrah's inconsistent fitness record, former India head coach Ravi Shastri hopes the 31-year-old plays because of the significance of this match.
“The most important thing for India is to throw the counter punch almost immediately. When you lose a Test match like this where you have dominated most of it and then you lose it on the last day with a big chase and full marks to England for keeping their composure and doing that, it will need a lot of character to come to the fore and to bounce back in the series,” Shastri told the ICC Review show.
“Now, whether Bumrah plays or doesn’t play, one doesn’t know. But let’s hope he does because this is a very important Test match, and all is not lost. It’s just you take it one game at a time. It’s a five-match series and India will be hoping to bounce back," he added.
Nasser Hussain criticized Shubman Gill's tactics after India lost the first game of the series in Leeds, labeling him a reactive captain. Shastri noted how the loss was caused by lazy bowling and subpar fielding and said the young captain will learn.
“People say he was a little reactive, and it can happen when you’re playing your first Test match (as captain) and especially in such good batting conditions with a fast outfield, and things can happen in that way.
But he would have learnt a lot from that and will want to be a little more proactive when it comes now, which means the bowlers and the fielders will have to give him that support. They have got to know what their role is and get out there and execute it," Shastri added.
Bumrah’s presence will boost India’s chances of a comeback in the series, but the team management also needs to keep his workload in consideration.