After India’s narrow loss at Lord’s, former Indian player Anil Kumble has openly urged the team management to re-evaluate and make sure Jasprit Bumrah plays in the next Test of the ongoing England series. In the third Test, India, while chasing 193 on the last day, fell short by 22 runs to give England a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Ahead of the tour, the BCCI had stated that Bumrah would sit out two of the five Tests in order to control his workload. Gautam Gambhir, the head coach, ratified the plan, and as a result, Bumrah missed the second Test despite clamours calling for him to play, particularly after he was a match winner in the series opener at Leeds.
India’s pace bowling, spearheaded by Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep, rose to the occasion in Birmingham both taking five-wicket hauls as India thumped England by 336 runs to tie up the series. But Bumrah’s absence was felt once again in the third Test at Lord’s, where India’s bowling was missing that Cutting Edge to seal the win.
Anil Kumble emphasized Gambhir must ensure Bumrah’s comeback, especially for the fourth Test in Manchester, to be held from July 23. He warned that omitting Bumrah could cost India dearly and even hand over the series to England.
“I would certainly, if I’m a part of that group, I would certainly push Bumrah to play the next game because that’s crucial. If he doesn’t play and then you lose the Test match, that’s it. Series is done and dusted. I think Bumrah should play both the Test matches. I know he said, I’m only going to play three. We have a long break after this. You don’t need to play the home series. You can take a break if you want. But Bumrah should be playing the next,” Anil Kumble said on JioHotstar
When asked about Bumrah’s availability following the Lord’s Test, captain Shubman Gill remained tightlipped, saying, “You’ll get to know soon.” So far, the Indian camp has not revealed any changes to their workload strategy.
As the pressure mounts heading into the next match, all eyes will be on whether Team India makes the bold call to bring back their top pacer for the crucial final stretch of the series.
