If They Go 2-0 Down, It Could Be An Uphill Task: Shastri Wants India To Reconsider Resting Bumrah
Key Points
Ravi Shastri urges India to reconsider resting Jasprit Bumrah if they fall 2-0 behind in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, citing his pivotal role in the first Test.
India’s lower-order collapses and dropped catches drew criticism from both Shastri and Nasser Hussain, who questioned the team’s resilience and tactical sharpness.
Shubman Gill’s captaincy under scrutiny, with praise for his century but concerns over his reactive leadership style and lack of commanding presence.
New Delhi, Jun 25: Ravi Shastri, the former India head coach, believes the side might need to rethink their plan of resting Jasprit Bumrah if they go 2-0 behind to England in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series.
In India’s five-wicket defeat to England at Headingley, Bumrah recorded match figures of 5-140 from 43.4 overs – with all five of his scalps coming in the first innings.
"If he was looking at a rest, you may have to think twice. If you don't have him and then go 2-0 down it could be an uphill task," said Shastri on Sky Sports.
As stated by head coach Gautam Gambhir, Bumrah will play only three of the five Tests against England in order to manage his workload. But with other seamers – Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna - registering combined figures of 9-482 in 92 overs – India might be tempted to play Bumrah in the second Test at Edgbaston, starting on July 2.
Shastri also thinks the manner in which India lost a Test they should have won will sting them very hard. "This will be a tough pill for India to swallow. You don't get in positions like this very often and blow it from there. They had a chance to take England out of the contest and dictate terms."
"They have to learn and they need more bottle from the tail, for them to be stubborn and put a price tag on their wicket. There is a big role for the coaching staff to take the positives. As a captain, Gill has done more than can be asked of him. He got a hundred in his first Test in charge and the dropped catches (and collapses) are not in his control," he added.
Nasser Hussain, the former England captain, felt Gill was reactive rather than proactive in his captaincy on final day’s play, and added that the lower-order batting collapses in both innings for the tourists’ is a big concern.
"I saw someone finding his way. He didn't quite have that on-field aura of Rohit and (Virat Kohli). I thought he followed the ball a lot and was reactive rather than proactive. When Rohit and Kohli captained, you looked down and you immediately knew who was in charge but when I looked down in this game I saw two or three captains, captaincy by committee."
"But India lost from two things Gill couldn't control - drops and collapses. The collapses concern me. In India they have had spin-bowling all-rounders that are magnificent - Ravi Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel - but in England they are still looking for a seam-bowling all-rounder who can bat. If they keep going 6-31 and 7-41 this could be a quick series."
(IANS)
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