Birmingham: Former cricketers including India's Ravi Shastri and Australia's Tom Moody have expressed shock after the Gill-led side chose to sit out Jasprit Bumrah, arguably the world's best bowler for the second test against England starting Wednesday.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri expressed disbelief at India's decision to rest a fully fit Jasprit Bumrah from the second Test against England, asserting that the pace spearhead should not have been given the option to sit out of a crucial game.
India, enduring a rough patch in Test cricket since October last year, have managed just one win in their last nine matches, marking their worst run in over a decade. Shubman Gill and his men lost the opening Test against England by five wickets in Leeds.
"If you look at the run, India has had, this becomes a very, very important test match. You've lost three against New Zealand, you've lost three against Australia," Shastri told 'Sky Sports'.
"You've lost the first Test match here and you want to get back to winning ways. You have the best fast bowler in the world, and you make him sit out after seven days of rest, it's something very hard to believe," he said.
Bumrah had claimed his 14th five-wicket haul in the first innings at Leeds.
After the toss on Wednesday, Gill told former England batter Michael Atherton that Bumrah was rested to manage his workload.
"Just to manage his workload. We did get a good break and this is an important match for us. But the third Test being at Lord's, we think there'll be more in that pitch so we'll use him there," Gill said.
Shastri, however, completely disagreed with the decision.
"This is a very important match, they've had a week off. I am a little surprised Bumrah is not playing this game," the cricketer-turned-commentator said.
"It should be taken out of the player's hand. It should be the captain and the head coach that should decide who should be playing the 11.
"This is an important game in the context of the series, he should be playing this game more than anything else. Lord's can come later. This is the important game where you have to counter-punch almost straightaway."
The Indian team management had made it clear before the series that Bumrah would feature in a maximum of three Tests, owing to workload considerations.
"Play this one. Make it 1-1 and then give him the option: 'you want to rest at Lord's, rest at Lord's. You think he'll rest at Lord's? No chance if you win this," Shastri said.
Bumrah, who missed three months of action earlier this year due to a back spasm suffered during the Sydney Test against Australia, became the first Asian pacer to claim 150 wickets in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) countries during the opening Test.
Australia former player and Director of Cricket for Sri Lanka Cricket Tom Moddy said "India's selection is baffling".
"India’s selection for this test is baffling. No Bumrah is one thing, but to only have 5 specialist batsmen is a gamble," he wrote in a post on X.
"The fixation on all-rounders who are there to offer depth with bat and ball has never worked. Specialists are always going to offer more over a test. #ENGvIND" he added.
Former Australia skipper Aaron Finch reacted to India's playing XI through a social media post.
"If Bumrah was fit to play then surely you need to pick the best bowler in the world? At the very least Kuldeep has the be in the XI if you’re worried about taking 20 wickets."
"Yes, he might be more expensive but he’s the next best attacking option!" Finch wrote on X.
South Africa's legendary bowler Dale Steyn too responded harshly calling the decision 'madness'.
"So Portugal have the best striker in the world in Ronaldo and they chose not to play him," he said in a post on X. "Thats madness. That’s like India having Bumrah and choosing not to play, umm, him… wait, oh, no, what! shit I’m confused."
