Former England cricketer Mark Butcher has weighed in on the growing speculation around Jasprit Bumrah’s availability for the second Test at Edgbaston, urging India to prioritise the team’s needs over workload management strategies.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!India trail 0-1 in the five-match series after England pulled off a record 371-run chase in the fourth innings at Headingley. Bumrah was outstanding in the first innings with figures of 5/83, but went wicketless in the second as England’s Bazball juggernaut rolled on.
“Bumrah is going to be a huge talking point as to whether or not this is one of his three Test matches,” Butcher told Wisden. “I think it has to be, it absolutely has to be. Six-day break after Headingley, 1-0 down, he plays. I know he wants to play at Lord’s but the needs of the team and the series are more important than his wish to play a Test at Lord’s.”
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Should India prioritize team needs over Bumrah’s workload management?
Captain Gill said the decision would depend on pitch conditions, but confirmed that Bumrah is fully available for selection. “We will take a call after looking at the surface,” Gill said.
If Bumrah is rested for the Edgbaston Test, Mohammed Siraj is expected to lead the pace attack, with Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna likely to support.Butcher added that India must focus on leveling the series now and think about rotating Bumrah later. “And who knows, he might get through this one okay and be fine for Lord’s, and then you take your chances at the back-end,” he said.
