Steyn Questions Bumrah’s Exclusion from England Test

BIRMINGHAM: Dale Steyn, the former South African fast bowler, has critiqued the Indian team’s choice to rest Jasprit Bumrah, their leading pace bowler, for the second Test against England at Edgbaston. He likened the decision to Portugal not fielding Cristiano Ronaldo.

Following a loss in the first Test at Headingley, Leeds, India implemented three changes to their starting XI. A significant change was leaving out Bumrah, who had previously taken five wickets in the first innings of the opening match.

The choice to rest Bumrah, especially with the team down 0-1 in the five-match series, sparked widespread debate in the cricket community.

Steyn voiced his surprise on X, formerly known as Twitter, regarding India’s choice to bench such a key player, using a football comparison.

Steyn’s Analogy

“If Portugal opted not to play Ronaldo, their top striker, it would be considered unusual. Similarly, India’s decision to exclude Bumrah is puzzling,” Steyn commented.

Akash Deep, an uncapped pacer, took Bumrah’s place in the Indian team, signaling a strategy to manage the workload of players throughout the series. It is anticipated that Bumrah will participate in just three of the five Tests held in England.

Gautam Gambhir, the head coach, previously stated that Bumrah’s participation would hinge on the conditions of the match and the overall game plan, clarifying that there were no strict limitations set on his play time.

Notably, Bumrah delivered an exceptional bowling performance during the initial Test match between India and England at Headingley, Leeds, matching a longstanding record previously set by Indian icon Kapil Dev.

Bumrah’s Recent Achievements
  • Bumrah secured his 12th five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
  • He equaled Kapil Dev’s record for the most five-wicket hauls in overseas Tests by an Indian bowler.
  • Bumrah accomplished this feat in just 34 Tests, while Kapil needed 66 matches.

During the ongoing first Test against England at Headingley, Bumrah also surpassed a longstanding record held by Pakistan’s Wasim Akram.

Bumrah now holds the distinction of being the Asian bowler with the most Test wickets in SENA countries, which include South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia.

Bumrah’s record surpasses those of Pakistan’s Akram and fellow Indian players such as Anil Kumble, Ishant Sharma, and Mohammed Shami.