Ravi Shastri Tears Into Gautam Gambhir For Jasprit Bumrah No-Show At Edgbaston: "Should Be Taken Out..."
"This is a very important match, they've had a week off. I'm little surprised Bumrah is not playing this game. It should be taken out of the player's hand. It should be the captain and the coaching staff that should decide who should be playing the 11. This is an important game in the context of the series, he should be playing this game more than anything else.'
'Lord's can come later. This is the important game where you got to counter punch almost straightaway. Play this one. Make it 1-1 and then give him the option: you want to rest at Lord's, rest at Lord's. You think he'll rest at Lord's? No chance if you win this. If you look at the run, India has had, this becomes a very, very important test match.'
'You've lost three against New Zealand, you've lost three against Australia. You've lost the first Test match here and you want to get back to winning ways. You have the best fast bowler in the side, in the world, and you make him sit out after seven days of rest, it's something very hard to believe," said Shastri on Sky Sports' broadcast.
With Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy included in place of B Sai Sudharsan and Shardul Thakur, it does lengthen the India batting line-up. But without Bumrah, India do look a considerably different side at Edgbaston. Stuart Broad, the former England fast bowler, also expressed surprise over Bumrah's omission at Edgbaston.
'A week is a very good time off for a fast bowler. (Bumrah's omission) does surprise me and what also surprised me was him saying before the series he will only play three of the five Tests. You keep those cards close to your chest and play each week as it comes. They will definitely want Bumrah at Lord's because of the movement you can get through the air, so can they risk him here?" he said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
IND vs ENG: 'Two best spinners ... ' – Sourav Ganguly slams India's 'surprising' XI call at Edgbaston
Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah (Getty Images) NEW DELHI: India's playing XI for the second Test against England in Birmingham on Wednesday has triggered widespread debate. The inclusion of three new faces — Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, and Akash Deep — coupled with the resting of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and the omission of in-form spinner Kuldeep Yadav, drew sharp criticism from cricketing legends Sourav Ganguly, Sunil Gavaskar, and Ravi Shastri . India's recent Test form has been underwhelming, with just one win in their last nine matches — the team's poorest run in over a decade. The struggles continued with a five-wicket defeat to England in the first Test at Leeds. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Former India captain Sourav Ganguly voiced concern over the spin choices. 'I'm not sure whether India are playing their two best spinners,' Ganguly said on Sony Sports. 'England have chosen to field first — that's surprising. But this could be India's best chance. Put runs on the board and hopefully it works out.' 'I had two great spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh in the team. I used to stop the run flow on Day 1 of the Test and the two became dangerous as the match went ahead,' he added. Sunil Gavaskar questioned the exclusion of Kuldeep Yadav, especially considering the pitch conditions. IND vs ENG 2nd Test: Shubman Gill's statement ton, Jaiswal misses out & Karun Nair at No.3? 'I'm a little baffled that Kuldeep wasn't picked — especially on a surface where everyone says there's a bit more turn,' Gavaskar said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo He also stressed that batting wasn't India's primary issue. 'If your top-order isn't scoring runs, then bringing in Washington at seven or Nitish Reddy at eight won't solve that. Those weren't the batters who failed in the first Test. You scored over 830 runs — not 380 — across two innings. That's plenty,' he added. According to Gavaskar, the team needed more focus on bowling reinforcements. 'The area that needed strengthening was wicket-taking, not batting.' Former India head coach Ravi Shastri was critical of the decision to rest Bumrah, calling it a misstep in such a crucial match. 'You don't rest your premier fast bowler in a series-defining Test,' he remarked, suggesting that Bumrah should not have had the option to sit out. With Bumrah rested, India fielded Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar as their spin options in the Birmingham Test. For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here . Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Shubman Gill 'sent a message to dressing room' on Day 1, took charge at the centre: 'For those watching from balcony...'
Jul 03, 2025 03:36 PM IST Former England cricketer Jonathan Trott lavished praise on Indian captain Shubman Gill, hailing him as a 'world-class player' with a bright future after the 25-year-old registered his second consecutive century in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Trott was particularly impressed by Gill's tactical awareness and adaptability, especially in how he negotiated the challenges posed by England pacers Brydon Carse and Chris Woakes. India's Shubman Gill in action (Action Images via Reuters) 'Carse has a bit more pace than Woakes but what's impressive is Gill's understanding on how to counter both. He knows Woakes will try to attack the stumps, and without express pace Gill formulated a plan to counter that — not something he came up with on the day, but a strategy clearly thought out well in advance. This is what separates good players from average ones and world-class players from the rest,' Trott said. 'Having the confidence to execute a plan that's not necessarily textbook, but gives you an edge over the opposition, is remarkable. As captain, that has a significant impact — not just out in the middle, but also for those watching from the team balcony. What also stood out was his body language and the way he scored his runs,' he added. 'World-class player' Trott further noted that Gill's calm demeanour and composure at the crease have become a stabilising influence for the Indian side. 'His control against the English bowlers sent a message to the dressing room — that he was taking charge, leading from the front. His intent was clear: 'I'll be there, I'll be not out, and I'll resume tomorrow. I'll make sure we get into a winning position.' Very impressive from such a young man — a world-class player with a bright future,' Trott concluded. At stumps on Day 1 of the second Test at Edgbaston, India stood at 310 for 5, with Gill unbeaten on 114 and Ravindra Jadeja providing support on 41.
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
'Lord's Test More Important Than Series?': Gambhir & Co. Blasted For 'Carrying Baggage' As Bumrah Rested
Last Updated: India have been criticised for not playing Jasprit Bumrah despite a seven-day break between the first and second Tests. India's call to rest Jasprit Bumrah for the ongoing 2nd Test against England in Birmingham continues to draw criticism. Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara is the latest to join the list wondering whether the decision was taken after discussion with the player and the medics. India are trailing 0-1 in the five-match series and with Bumrah being their pace spearhead, it would have been logical for the 31-year-old to be part of the 2nd Test as they hope to draw parity. However, the tourists made three changes to the eleven that suffered a five-wicket defeat last month in Leeds as they added more depth to their batting. Sangakkara felt that with series on the line, Bumrah, if fit, shouldn't have been rested. 'Interesting to understand how the decision is being made and who makes it? Is it after a consultation with the players or the physios? It depends on whether the Lord's Test is more important than the series. The series is on the line. If we see the score, it's an even day, perhaps a little bit more tilted towards England with the five wickets down. So I would have expected the coach to have gone to Bumrah and say 'Yes, we thought you might play the 3rd and the 5th Test, but we're going 1 and 2. Take a look if you can play the third if you can, because then you've got two weeks off before the next one'," Sangakkara said on Sky Sports. Ever since Gautam Gambhir's appointment as head coach, India have endured torrid time in Test cricket. Of the 11 Tests they have played under his watch, India have lost seven, won three and drawn one. The run includes a historic 0-3 clean sweep at the hands of New Zealand at home. Sangakkara thinks that the Indian team is carrying the baggage of their previous Tests under Gambhir and therefore desperate to break the trend which led to the changes. 'It's not just a reaction to the last Test. I think there is a bit of chat about the last 9-10. Seven losses, one win, one draw. There is a little bit of baggage as well to turn that pattern around. So there was a lot of pressure and they were looking at this game and thinking 'alright, what can we do?' and they ring in all the changes," Sangakkara said. First Published:
