So, it’s final, the India Cricket Team will go without Jasprit Bumrah in Edgbaston in Birmingham for the 2nd Test. Down 0-1, everyone hoped that Bumrah would play at least the IND vs ENG Edgbaston Test before the workload management kicked in. However, the team management has decided to rest him ahead of the Lord’s Test. Akash Deep makes a comeback in place of Bumrah.
Ahead of the 2nd Test, captain Shubman Gill and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate confirmed that Bumrah was available for selection. The eight-day gap between the 1st and 2nd Test did help. However, the team decided to manage his workload early before the last stretch of the five-match IND vs ENG Test series.
“No Bumrah. Just to manage his workload. Third Test being at Lord’s, we think there’ll be more in that pitch so we’ll use him there. We were tempted to play Kuldeep but decided to add some depth to the batting,” Shubman Gill said at the toss.
India Playing XI for Edgbaston Test
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
India bowling without Bumrah
In Leeds, Jasprit Bumrah made the difference in the first innings with his 14th Test fifer. While England did post 465 runs, it was largely due to poor catching. As many as four catches were dropped off Bumrah’s bowling.
However, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar wasn’t happy with India’s decision to rest Bumrah so early. “If you are bowling first, you need him more than anyone else. You are keeping him for Lord’s,” Gavaskar said on Sony Sports.
India’s bowling in Leeds
| Player | Inns | Overs | Runs | Wkts | BBI | Avg | Econ | SR |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 2 | 43.4 | 140 | 5 | 5/83 | 28.00 | 3.20 | 52.40 |
| Prasidh Krishna | 2 | 35.0 | 220 | 5 | 3/128 | 44.00 | 6.28 | 42.00 |
| Shardul Thakur | 2 | 16.0 | 89 | 2 | 2/51 | 44.50 | 5.56 | 48.00 |
| Mohammed Siraj | 2 | 41.0 | 173 | 2 | 2/122 | 86.50 | 4.21 | 123.00 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 2 | 47.0 | 172 | 1 | 1/104 | 172.00 | 3.65 | 282.00 |
Jasprit Bumrah workload
Since 2023, Bumrah has bowled the most overs by a pacer for India in Tests. He took 82 wickets, bowling 437.2 overs, averaging 15.87. Add T20 World Cup, World Cup and IPL to the mix, and his workload was more than any other pacer from India.
But it was the warning sign in Australia that forced Team India to take a call on proper management. During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Bumrah bowled 151.2 overs, 2nd most after Mohammed Siraj. That created complications as Bumrah injured his back once again.
After a two-month injury layoff, forcing him to miss the ICC Champions Trophy, he returned in IPL ahead of the England tour. However, there was a strict warning. Bumrah could only play three Tests and not more than that.
