If the loss against England in the first Test in Leeds was not enough, the Indian cricket team were dealt another blow as news came that Jasprit Bumrah would be rested for the second Test starting on July 2. BCCI sources confirmed the development to NDTV. Even before India departed for the long Tour of England, it had been declared that Bumrah would play only three of the five Tests due to workload management. Bumrah had been out of team for a lengthy period after a back issue during the Border Gavaskar Trophy.    

However, now question are being raised on the future of Bumrah’s Test career, considering he is not available for all the matches despite significant gap between them. The first Test ran from June 20-24, while the second match in Birmingham will start from July 2. That’s a week’s gap. The third Test at Lord’s will start from July 10, before the the action shifts to Manchester for the fourth Test starting on July 23. The fifth Test starts on July 31. 

“Jasprit Bumrah will not be available. It’s not official, but maybe it’s official, for all we know. He will be rested for the second match and will directly play the third match, and you wonder, as there was a seven-day gap between the two matches, and he is not playing,” Aakash Chopra, former India star, said on his YouTube channel.

“Then there will be a five-day Test and a three-day gap. He will be available on the 10th of July now. That is a serious concern. If you need such big gaps, Bumrah’s future as a Test cricketer, it is going to be an issue. Gautam  Gambhir must find himself in a tricky position now. There was an old interview, ‘I do not believe in workload management’ that was Gautam’s stand back then.  That makes it a little different. He is an important player.”

Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh are the two other specialist pacers in the squad. Medium pace allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy is another option. Most indications point towards left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh replacing Bumrah in the XI. But again, no one could confirm the development. While Arshdeep has not played any Test, he has ODI and T20I experience. In T20Is, he is India’s all-time highest wicket-taker with 99 scalps in 63 games.