India's best fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is likely to be rested for the second Test of the current five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series, which starts on July 2 at Edgbaston in Birmingham, a report said on Thursday.
Indian Express said the move to rest Bumrah is part of workload management and that the pacer star would return for the third Test.
Bumrah had performed a pivotal role in the first innings of the opening Test at Headingley, Leeds, with a five-wicket haul to post a narrow six-run first-innings lead for India. He was, however, wicketless in the second innings, as England overhauled a challenging total of 371 to win the match by five wickets.
During the announcement of the squad, the team management had already indicated that Bumrah would play only four of the five Tests. Both the captain, Shubman Gill, and head coach, Gautam Gambhir, had mentioned that a call would be made later on which four games Bumrah would play. Reports are now coming out that the second Test would be the one he will miss.
Hailed as the world's best fast bowler now and the world's highest-ranked bowler in the ICC Bowling Rankings, Bumrah's absence is bound to be a loss for India's bowling team. In his absence, the attack looks much weaker, particularly as bowlers such as Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur, and Mohammed Siraj lacked consistency and discipline in Leeds, conceding runs at crucial moments — a factor that had contributed to India's loss.
While India are likely to rest their spearhead, England have been boosted by the return of Jofra Archer, who has been included in the team for the second Test. Archer has been hindered by a recurring elbow injury and a stress fracture in his back, which kept him away from Test cricket since early 2021. But he came back to red-ball cricket last week with a successful outing for Sussex against Durham in the County Championship, where he bowled an economical 18 overs and picked 1 for 32.
With Archer's comeback, England are now faced with a choice of selection. Josh Tongue, who took seven wickets in the first Test, and Brydon Carse, who picked up four, will be fighting for a place in the final XI. The team also has seamers Sam Cook, Jamie Overton, and all-rounder Jacob Bethell in reserve, providing more strength to England's fast bowling attack.
As the series shifts to Edgbaston with England in charge at 1-0, India will hope to recover — but will have to do so without their most dangerous bowling asset.
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