Jasprit Bumrah Rested for Edgbaston, Will Play 3rd Test: Report

Team India is in a tricky spot. They decided to play Jasprit Bumrah in the Headingley Test against England, using up one of the three matches he’s set to play in this five-Test series. But things didn’t go as planned, they ended up losing the game. Now they’re 0-1 behind in the series and will have to go into two of the remaining four matches without their star bowler, Bumrah.

Shastri Suggests Bumrah Might Skip Edgbaston to Be Fresh for Lord’s

India's captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir now face a tricky decision figuring out which Test matches star pacer Jasprit Bumrah should play and which ones he should sit out. Weighing in on the matter, former India coach Ravi Shastri has shared his thoughts too. 

“Bumrah said he’ll play three Test matches. Now, which of the three he’ll play, that’s, you know, another question to be asked. I think if he takes a break, it’ll be the next one, because he’ll definitely want to play at Lord’s, right?” Shastri said speaking on Sky Sports.

Lord’s is an ideal venue for the fast bowler

Shastri reasons that by allowing Bumrah to skip the Edgbaston Test, you will give the pacer ample time to recover and be at his absolute best. Another theory is that the slope at Lord’s, the venue for the third Test, will aid Bumrah. If the fast bowler plays in Edgbaston, he can’t play in Lord’s because the turnout between the two games is just four days.

But the decision isn't without problems. Shastri says that if India doesn’t play Bumrah, they might find themselves 0-2 down by the time they reach Lord’s. According to the former coach, this is the way they need to manage Bumrah’s workload. Naturally, that means the fast bowler would then be expected to play at Old Trafford or The Oval.

And there’s a break, and then you go into Lord’s, then there’s a break, and then there’s a choice between Manchester and the same. It could be 2-0 down. So that is the problem. I think he has got to play,” Shastri added.

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