Why Jasprit Bumrah Is Missing The Edgbaston Test Vs England Despite His Heroics? | Cricket News
England won the toss once again and opted to bowl first in the second Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham, a repeat of their strategy from the first Test. While the English side has gone unchanged, India has introduced three major alterations to their lineup.
Akash Deep Replaces Jasprit Bumrah
Bengal pacer Akash Deep has been included in the playing XI, taking the place of Jasprit Bumrah. The 27-year-old has played seven Test matches and picked up 15 wickets at an average of 35.20. Stepping into Bumrah’s shoes will be a considerable challenge, especially given Bumrah’s match-winning performance in the series opener.
Why Was Bumrah Rested?
Despite delivering a sensational five-wicket haul in the first Test and being instrumental in India’s hopes of breaking the Edgbaston jinx, Bumrah has been rested for the second Test. According to team management, the decision is part of workload management, considering the intensity and duration of the ongoing Test series.
However, the timing of the rest has raised eyebrows. With India on the brink of a historic win at a venue where they’ve never beaten England in a Test, many expected the team to continue riding on Bumrah’s red-hot form. Yet, the management opted to prioritize long-term fitness and sustainability over short-term gains. India’s bowling attack will now have to step up in Bumrah’s absence as they aim to make history in Birmingham.
Other Replacements
Nitish Kumar Reddy has replaced the all-rounder Shardul Thakur, and Sai Sudarshan has been dropped after his first test at Headingley, and Washington Sundar has been included in the playing XI. Karun Nair will take the place of Sai Sudarshan and bat at No. 3
India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
England (Playing XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.
