IND vs ENG: Jasprit Bumrah to Miss 2nd Test Against England, Replacement to be Announced Soon
India face a big blow ahead of the second Test as Jasprit Bumrah is likely to be rested, forcing the team to look for new bowling plans.
India’s tour of England has already hit a roadblock. After losing the Headingley Test match, the team may now miss their best fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, in the second game.
The star pacer bowled 44 overs in the first Test and is likely to be rested for workload management. The second Test will be played at Edgbaston from July 2, and Bumrah is expected to return for the third one at Lord’s on July 10.
Bumrah Might Be Rested
Bumrah did not bowl in the final hour of the Headingley Test, even after the new ball was taken. Many fans were surprised when captain Shubman Gill gave the ball to Siraj and continued with Jadeja instead of calling back Bumrah. The move did not work, as England’s Jamie Smith hit Jadeja for 18 runs in an over and completed the huge chase of 371 runs. It was England’s second-highest run chase in Test cricket.
Shubman Gill later said that Bumrah’s availability for the next match will be decided closer to the game.
“It’s definitely more game by game; you know there’s a good break after the Test match, so once we’re close to the match we’ll see,” Gill said.
India Need a New Plan Without Bumrah
If India couldn’t win with Bumrah, can they do it without him? That is the big question. Bumrah has been India’s top bowler in this format, and missing him could be a big blow. The team management now has the tough task of picking the right bowlers who can take 20 wickets without Bumrah in the lineup.
Fielding, Lower Order Still a Problem
Apart from the bowling, India’s fielding and lower-order batting were also poor in the first Test. The team dropped many catches, and the last six wickets fell for just 31 runs in the second innings, which made a huge difference.
Gill admitted the same after the loss.
“It was a brilliant Test match. We had our chances, we dropped catches, and our lower-order didn’t contribute enough. We were thinking of declaring around 430, but we lost six wickets quickly,” Gill said.
India will now have an eight-day break before the second Test, and the team has time to fix these problems. Without Bumrah, they will need a strong plan, better fielding, and more runs from the lower order to bounce back in the series.
