Shastri Warns India: Don't Rest Bumrah Despite Workload Concerns After Headingley Loss

Shastri's Counsel: Reconsider Resting Bumrah Against England

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has urged the Indian team management, including head coach Gautam Gambhir, to think twice about resting Jasprit Bumrah for the upcoming Test matches against England. This suggestion comes after India's recent five-wicket defeat at Headingley, where Bumrah showcased his prowess by taking five wickets. The current strategy, as outlined by Gambhir, involves Bumrah participating in only three of the five Tests to manage his workload.

In the Headingley Test, Bumrah delivered a commendable performance, securing match figures of 5-140 across 43.4 overs, with all his wickets claimed in the first innings.

"If he was looking at a rest, you may have to think twice. If you don't have him and then go 2-0 down it could be an uphill task," Shastri stated on Sky Sports, highlighting the potential consequences of sidelining their key bowler.

The performance of the other Indian seamers – Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna – further underscores the importance of Bumrah's presence in the team. Together, they conceded 9-482 in 92 overs, which may prompt a reconsideration of Bumrah's participation in the second Test at Edgbaston, commencing on July 2.

Shastri also reflected on India's defeat, saying, "This will be a tough pill for India to swallow. You don't get in positions like this very often and blow it from there. They had a chance to take England out of the contest and dictate terms."

He further emphasized the need for resilience from the lower order, stating, "They have to learn and they need more bottle from the tail, for them to be stubborn and put a price tag on their wicket. There is a big role for the coaching staff to take the positives. As a captain, Gill has done more than can be asked of him. He got a hundred in his first Test in charge and the dropped catches (and collapses) are not in his control."

Former England captain Nasser Hussain shared his insights on Shubman Gill's captaincy and India's overall performance.

"I saw someone finding his way. He didn't quite have that on-field aura of Rohit and (Virat Kohli). I thought he followed the ball a lot and was reactive rather than proactive. When Rohit and Kohli captained, you looked down and you immediately knew who was in charge but when I looked down in this game I saw two or three captains, captaincy by committee," Hussain observed.

He concluded, "But India lost from two things Gill couldn't control - drops and collapses. The collapses concern me. In India they have had spin-bowling all-rounders that are magnificent - Ravi Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel - but in England they are still looking for a seam-bowling all-rounder who can bat. If they keep going 6-31 and 7-41 this could be a quick series," he concluded.