The current Indian team management has come under fire from former coach Ravi Shastri for resting Jasprit Bumrah in a pivotal Test match as India attempts to tie the five-match series. Shastri expressed concern over India's current losing skid in Test cricket without mentioning coach Gautam Gambhir by name.

Jasprit Bumrah played in the first Test, taking a fifer in the first innings. He went wicketless in the second innings as England chased down 371 runs with ease, winning the match by 5 wickets.

Bumrah, who returned to action in IPL 2025, after spending three months out due to a reoccurrence of his back injury, has been advised to manage his workload and hence will play only 3 Tests in the ongoing five-match series against England.

While many expected Bumrah to play as India is 0-1 down in the series, his workload to precedent, and Akash Deep replaced the Gujarat pacer in the India XI.

“You have the best fast bowler in the world, and you make him sit out after seven days of rest. You know, it’s something very hard to believe.

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,” Shastri said on Sky Cricket.

Bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur, who only managed to score one and four in last week's first-Test defeat in Leeds, was replaced by batting all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy. The batting, which suffered late-order collapses of 41-7 and 31-6 in Leeds, has also been strengthened by Washington Sundar, an off-spin bowling all-rounder with 25 wickets and a batting average of 42 in nine Test matches.

Karun Nair was elevated to No. 3 in the order, while Sai Sudharsan, who scored 0 and 30 in his Test debut in Leeds, was dropped. After England won the toss and had an unchanged squad, India was asked to bat first on the batting-friendly Edgbaston ground.