Will Jasprit Bumrah Play Lords Test? Team India Captain Shubman Gill Says THIS After IND vs ENG 2nd Test

India.com

a day ago

India's much-anticipated five-match Test series against England, scheduled to begin on June 20, has hit a speed bump. According to a report by The Indian Express, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that his body is not ready to endure the strain of all five matches.
After playing a grueling five-Test series against Australia earlier this year—where he led in the final Test due to Rohit Sharma's exit—Bumrah ended up suffering a back injury. This latest update not only dents India's fast-bowling attack but also complicates the selection puzzle for the upcoming England series.
The BCCI, which is expected to announce the squad on Saturday, May 24, now finds itself weighing risk against reward. With Mohammed Shami also in doubt, India's famed pace battery suddenly looks depleted.
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Shami's Case: Fit for IPL, But Not Test-Ready
While Shami has featured for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, red-ball cricket is a different beast altogether. According to ESPNcricinfo, although Shami is bowling again, he hasn't built up the workload required for the high-intensity demands of Test matches. His last red-ball outing was the World Test Championship Final in 2023.
A BCCI medical representative even travelled to Lucknow recently to assess Shami's fitness ahead of Hyderabad's clash with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The signs are not overly encouraging, especially as Shami is also reportedly dealing with lingering right knee pain, despite recovering from an ankle surgery earlier this year.
With both frontline pacers in doubt, the BCCI might be forced to look beyond the experienced duo and consider young, promising names—perhaps Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, or Arshdeep Singh—to lead the pace attack on the seaming English tracks.
Gill's Leadership Under the Spotlight as India Levels Series
Meanwhile, amid the uncertainty over Bumrah's participation, India's captain Shubman Gill has exuded confidence. Following a series-leveling win in the second Test at Edgbaston, Gill assured fans during the post-match presentation that 'Bumrah will definitely be back for the Lord's Test.'
Gill's bold decision to rest Bumrah in the second match, despite trailing 0-1, initially drew criticism. But the calm-headed skipper proved his mettle with sharp game reading and a match-defining performance with the bat—scoring a total of 430 runs across both innings.
His 203-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja turned the tide in India's favour, and his maturity in handling captaincy duties alongside batting brilliance reflects the changing guard in Indian cricket.
England's Bazball Under Pressure as India Finds Momentum
England's aggressive 'Bazball' approach, though thrilling, seemed to falter in the face of India's clinical execution. Ben Stokes lamented two pivotal collapses—losing grip after having India at 211 for 5, and then slumping to 84 for 5 themselves. Despite a spirited counterattack from Harry Brook and Jamie Smith, England remained too far adrift to threaten India's dominance.
With India now gaining momentum, and Bumrah expected to play selectively, the BCCI's challenge is clear: how to balance Bumrah's availability across the remaining matches while ensuring workload management doesn't compromise results.
India's Selection Conundrum: Between Experience and Form
The retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have already ushered in a new era for Indian Test cricket. With the selection committee set to announce the final squad soon, the spotlight is now on the support cast: who steps up in Bumrah and Shami's likely absence? Will we see the return of a swing specialist like Shardul Thakur, or will India go bold with new blood?
Whatever the outcome, one thing is clear—India's road to a series win in England hinges not just on strategy and form, but also on the fragile fitness of its most vital fast bowlers.