Star Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, aged 31, is set to miss the second Test of the ongoing five-match series against England in Birmingham. This decision, as reported by a news channel on Thursday, June 25, citing a BCCI source, is a measure of workload management. Bumrah’s significant contributions in the Leeds Test saw him bowl 24.4 overs in the first innings and an additional 19 overs in the second.
While Bumrah will not feature in Birmingham, he is expected to return for the third Test against England, scheduled at Lord’s in London from July 10 to 14. In his place, left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh is the likely candidate to join the playing XI for the Edgbaston Test. Arshdeep, who was crowned the ICC T20I Cricketer of the Year in 2024, is yet to make his red-ball debut for India, having received his maiden Test call-up for this very series.
Further team changes are anticipated, with all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy reportedly stepping in for Shardul Thakur. Thakur’s performance in the first Test was underwhelming; he contributed little with the bat and bowled only six overs in the first innings. Although he managed to claim two wickets in two balls during the second innings on Tuesday, it seemingly wasn’t enough to secure his spot.
The decision to rest Jasprit Bumrah comes despite former India batter and captain Sunil Gavaskar’s suggestion on Sony Sports that India should consider playing him in all five Tests. However, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir dismissed this idea during the post-match conference on Tuesday, June 24, stating that the team is “more concerned about his workload”.
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