Ewen England captain Nasser Hussain may be impressed by the way the Indian team performed without Jasprit Bumrah in Edgbaston, and now the ace pacer will return to action fresh for the Lord’s Test. The selectors and the team management have already decided that Bumrah, who took a fifer at Leeds, will play just three Tests in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir chose to rest for the Edgbaston match although there was a 7-day interval between the first two matches.
Edgbaston Rest Decision Faces Backlash, Then Applause
The decision to rest Bumrah came under intense criticism from fans and experts alike on Day 1, with most questioning the timing. Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep, however, came out in great style, filling the gap in the pace spearhead’s absence. Their exemplary performance not only shut the critics but also justified the team management’s move. With India winning comprehensively, the decision to manage Bumrah’s workload turned out to be a masterstroke in the end.
Nasser: Jasprit Bumrah is India’s Trump Card for Lord’s
Hussain claimed that India will go into the Lord’s Test with the ace card in Bumrah, who will be itching to get his name on the Honours Board.
“You feel like India have manoeuvred it well. People were critical of them leaving Jasprit Bumrah out and how they were going to take 20 wickets without Bumrah – well they have done that on a very flat pitch at Edgbaston. Now they have their trump card coming in on a ground (Lord’s) that he has bowled well at before and a ground at which he wants to get on the Honours Board after two weeks of rest,” Hussain said on Sky Sports’ podcast.
Hussain: Tough Decisions Await Stokes with Archer, Atkinson Back
The ex-English captain also highlighted that the Lord’s encounter will be a great challenge for Ben Stokes to select the perfect bowling attack with the return of Gus Atkinson and Jofra Archer into the team.
“England have got to come in with either tired bowlers or, if they leave their tired bowlers out, they have got to come in with two bowlers who haven’t played recently in Gus Atkinson or haven’t played a Test match in four years in Jofra Archer. Stokes’ tiredness comes not only with the on-field but the off-field. That is the thing with leadership of a Test side that you should never underestimate. That is why Shubman Gill, with all the questions about Bumrah for Edgbaston, everything would have ended up at his door,” he added.