With India trailing in the 5-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, 0-1, the upcoming 2nd Test Match in Birmingham becomes a very important Test match for Team India to stay competitive in the series.
Team India needs to field their best possible playing 11 to avoid another Test defeat in this series.
If India loses the Birmingham Test match, a comeback in the Test series will become extremely difficult for Team India.
Another Blow for Team India will be if Jasprit Bumrah skips the upcoming Test match owing to ‘Workload Management’. It was announced at the start of the Test series that Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah, will only play 3 out of the 5 Test matches in the series.
With Jasprit Bumrah’s possible unavailability in the second Test Match has again brought up the debate on ‘Work Load Management’.
A player missing a Test match due to injury is part of the game, but a player being rested for ‘Work Load Management’ simply does not add up, especially in an important Test series such as the current one.
The decision also does not make sense as there is a gap of almost 10 days between the Test matches to recover from niggles if any.
BCCI and the selectors could have given the much-needed break for the pacer in non-crucial Tests, ODIs and T20s.
The Importance of Playing a SENA Test Series
The England Test series is one of the most important Test challenges an Indian cricketer dreams of being part of.
It is also the one destination where a player dreams of winning a Test series due to its conditions.
Unlike in India, the conditions in England are more friendly for the fast seam bowlers, and fatigue hardly plays a role due to windy and cold conditions.
The Jasprit Bumrah Effect
The fact that the touring team is resting their key bowler, who could potentially change the course of a Test match and the Test series, has left many cricket experts dumbfounded.
Jasprit Bumrah returned to competitive cricket in IPL 2025 after a long layoff due to injury. He featured in almost the entire Indian Premier League (IPL) season for the Mumbai Indians.
While T20 format may not take a toll on the bowler, Jasprit Bumrah was back to full fitness. This was indeed great news for Team India ahead of a very Important England Test Series in England.
Is Test Cricket losing its steam? Test Cricket is not the ultimate form of cricket anymore.
While ex-cricketers argue that Test cricket is the ultimate form of the game, it seems to not be the case with the current generation of cricketers who are retiring young from the longest format of the game to focus more on T20s and ODIs. The shorter format, especially franchise cricket, pays better and is less prone to major injuries as compared to the gruelling format of Test cricket.
While experts believe that Jasprit Bumrah loves the Test format, it is clear that India cannot bank on his service for an entire Test series from hereon.
This also brings in an unpleasant predicament that Should Team India look beyond Jasprit Bumrah in Tests? If so, then are the selectors giving enough opportunities to young Indian bowlers in Test cricket?
Ideally, Jasprit Bumrah should be rested in lesser important Tests, T20, and ODI series, so he can focus and play big Test series in its entirety against SENA Nations. The Team management would ideally be thinking on similar lines for future tours for Bumrah, as he returns to Test cricket after a Long Injury layoff.
Even South African great AB de Villiers has blasted the BCCI and the selectors over this mismanagement, which has led to the team taking such a call.
Why does Jasprit end up being over bowled whenever he plays?
In the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia in 2024-25, it was Bumrah who was the lone threat for the Australians in the entire series. Bumrah was over-bowled, which led to him breaking down and missing the last Test. The final Test was already lost before it started, with Jasprit not part of the playing eleven.
Whenever Jasprit Bumrah plays for India, Bumrah bowls bulk of the overs. He has already bowled the most overs as compared to any bowler in the Indian Team since his debut.
Lack of quality in the pace bowling department has plagued Indian cricket for a long time. Indian selectors have invested a lot in Mohammad Siraj and now on Prasidh Krishna.
Both bowlers are not genuine strike bowlers but still have been given the long rope by selectors due to lack of bench strength.
Mohammad Siraj gets the preference in the playing eleven, but have been off color in Test. He can only play the support role for Jasprit Bumrah. This has restricted India from developing more strike bowlers in their squad.
Arshdeep Singh, Akaashdeep and many Indian youngsters are yet to be fully tested. This is where the selectors have erred. Kuldeep Yadav in the spin department is facing a similar fate.
With the pick and choose strategy now given to Bumrah, It is time for Indian cricket to create a bowling squad without Jasprit Bumrah.
India’s already daunting challenge in England has become even more formidable with Bumrah expected to be rested for the second test. The coach, Gautam Gambhir is already under fire for some poor calls already
Do Team India even stand a chance without Jasprit Bumrah?
To take 20 wickets, India may need to take some bold calls and play 5 of their best bowling options, which may require a complete overhaul of the current bowling squad that played the first Test.
Arshdeep and Akashdeep, both swing bowlers, could be considered along with Kuldeep as the lead spinner.
Ravindra Jadeja looks off-colour and desperately out of form. A break for him can open the door for either Washington Sundar or an additional batter on the side.
SuperSports View
If Jasprit is fit, he should play the entire series; or, he should not have been considered for the entire tour.
We at SuperSports, feel that even if the decision to play Bumrah in only 3 out of the 5 Test matches was taken earlier, why was it required to be announced?
The announcement to the press was unnecessary, as such crucial information during such an important Test Series only gives teeth to the opposition, who can then plan their strategy according to this major development.
England will now look to have a batting track made in Birmingham to suite their Bazball approach to the game and put pressure on the Indian bowling lineup already weakened by Jasprit Bumrah’s absence.
Will there be surprise in store? Can Team India Spring a surprise in Birmingham?
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