The Indian team management faced strong criticism on Wednesday, after Jasprit Bumrah was rested for the second Test as part of his workload management.
It had been decided before India set out on their tour of England that the fast bowler would play only three Tests. He had missed three months of cricket after a back niggle forced him out of the second innings of the final Test in Sydney.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri minced no words for the team management’s decision to rest a fully fit Bumrah, asserting that India’s most valuable player should not have been given the option to sit out of a crucial game.
“If you look at the run India has had, this becomes a very, very important Test match. You’ve lost three against New Zealand, you’ve lost three against Australia,” Shastri said while commentating on Sky Sports.
“You’ve lost the first Test match here and you want to get back to winning ways. You have the best fast bowler in the world, and you make him sit out after seven days of rest, it’s something very hard to believe,” he said.
Bumrah had taken his 14th five-wicket haul in the first innings at Leeds.
Captain Shubman Gill confirmed at the toss that Bumrah was rested to manage his workload. “Just to manage his workload. We did get a good break and this is an important match for us. But the third Test being at Lord’s, we think there’ll be more in that pitch so we’ll use him there.”
The decision to play Washington Sundar while keeping Kuldeep Yadav out to strengthen the batting also invited a lot of flak.
“I’m a little baffled that Kuldeep wasn’t picked, because on a pitch like this, where everybody says there’s a little more turn,” Sunil Gavaskar said on Sony Sports Network.