Ahead of the highly anticipated Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir had already hinted at a rotation policy involving Jasprit Bumrah. While Gambhir confirmed that Bumrah would not be fielded in all the five Tests, he refrained from identifying the specific matches he would miss.
As the series unfolded, India suffered a defeat in the opening Test at Leeds despite a strong batting performance that featured five individual centuries, along with a five-wicket haul from Bumrah, their standout performer with the ball.
The decision to rest Jasprit Bumrah for the second Test in Birmingham, especially when India trailed by 0-1, sparked widespread criticism. Questions were raised over the timing and rationale behind sidelining their top pacer for a game of significant consequence.
Former England cricketer David Lloyd joined the chorus of disapproval, expressing his surprise and discontent through his column in a leading publication. He pointed out that India had an entire week between the two Tests, a window he believed should have allowed enough time for Jasprit Bumrah to recover and be ready to lead the attack once again.
David Lloyd wrote that if a team is behind in a series and has arguably the best bowler in the world available after a week’s rest, then that player should be ready and raring to go. He questioned whether the decision was Jasprit Bumrah’s own or one driven by the team’s medical staff, noting that the situation seemed shrouded in uncertainty. From his perspective, the lack of clarity around the call was unsettling and he emphasised that a cricketer’s job is to play when fit, rather than sit out without transparency.
India made a total of three changes to the playing XI that had featured in the series opener. B Sai Sudharsan and Shardul Thakur were dropped and Jasprit Bumrah was rested, making way for Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar and Akash Deep. These adjustments led to further scrutiny, with David Lloyd arguing that the new composition hinted at the team’s fear of another batting collapse like the one they experienced at Headingley.
In David Lloyd’s view, India appeared to have padded their lineup with more batting depth in hopes of avoiding another setback, potentially even settling for a draw. He interpreted this shift in balance as a sign of conservatism and warned that entering a match with such a mindset could backfire. Suggesting that the team might already be looking ahead to Lord’s, satisfied with being just 0-1 down, he criticised the approach as pessimistic and self-sabotaging. Not just this, he went on to use the phrase, “you are shooting yourself in the foot”.
The absence of Jasprit Bumrah in a pivotal Test and the visible shift in the team strategy have now become central talking points in India’s ongoing tour, raising both strategic and philosophical questions about how to approach long-format series in the modern era.
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