Jasprit Bumrah has been dropped from the second Test in Chennai against England. Virat Kohli has won the toss and opted to bat first. Both teams have made a number of changes. India have included Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav and handed Axar Patel a debut with Shahbaz Nadeem, Jasprit Bumrah, and Washington Sundar making way out of the playing XI.
England on the other hand has included Stuart Broad, Olly Stone, Ben Foakes, and Moeen Ali in place of Dom Bess, Jofra Archer, James Anderson, and Jos Buttler. Meanwhile, Bumrah’s absence meanwhile has resulted in different responses.
You Don’t Rest You Number 1 Bowler: Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar and Gautam Gambhir have reacted very differently to the absence of the Indian speedster in the second Test. Gavaskar has blasted Indian skipper Virat Kohli for not including Jasprit Bumrah in the playing XI.
“You don’t rest your number one bowler in the name of workload management. Jasprit Bumrah is India’s number one bowler with the new ball while Ravichandran Ashwin is the number one spinner. When you have lost the opening game of such a crucial series, you can’t rest your number one pacer. I am baffled by Bumrah’s snub as there is a seven-day recovery time after the second Test match,” Sunil Gavaskar said to Star Sports.
Resting Jasprit Bumrah Good Decision: Gautam Gambhir
Meanwhile, quite opposite to Sunil Gavaskar, Gautam Gambhir has backed the team management’s decision to rest Jasprit Bumrah in the second Test and keep him fresh for the third day-night Test in Ahmedabad. Gambhir previously advocated for Bumrah to be rested for the second Test after India lost the first Test.
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“I think it is a good decision to rest him. He will be ready to go in the pink-ball Test match. There is nothing for the fast bowlers here and he has bowled a lot of overs in Australia and the first Test match, so I think it was a very good decision from the team management’s point of view” said Gambhir to Cricket Live on Star Sports.
Meanwhile, Indian skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bat first. Shubman Gill was dismissed in the very second over of the Indian innings by Olly Stone to be jolted early in the game.
Also Read: Watch Olly Stone Dismiss Shubman Gill
