Former Indian batter Dinesh Karthik has expressed doubt over Jasprit Bumrah’s participation in the second Test match against England. Bumrah’s workload has been a major talking point during the England tour, and the pace spearhead himself had earlier stated that he wouldn’t be playing all five matches of the series. In the first Test, Bumrah bowled 43.4 overs and picked up five wickets.
Second Test Begins on July 2
After the match, head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that there will be no change in India’s strategy regarding Bumrah and that he is expected to play only three matches in the series. Speaking on the matter, Karthik said Bumrah might sit out the Edgbaston Test as the pitch could be flat, and missing the match would give his body some much-needed rest. The second Test between India and England will be played at Edgbaston from July 2.
Karthik: Bumrah Likely to Prefer Playing at Lord’s
Karthik believes Bumrah would prefer to feature in the third Test at Lord’s. However, he also emphasized that the final decision lies with the team management. He said, “First, we need to see whether Bumrah is playing or not. I doubt he will want to play at Edgbaston. I think he will wait. It’s a flat pitch and sitting out will give his body more recovery time. He bowled a lot of overs in the first match. The more rest he gets, the better it is for him. I think he would want to play at Lord’s, but it’s not about what he wants — it’s about what the team thinks is right for him.”
Supports Playing With One Spinner
After India’s loss in the first Test, there has been debate on whether Kuldeep Yadav should be included in the second Test, which would mean playing two spinners. However, Karthik believes one spinner is enough and that including two would weaken India’s batting. He said India should not worry about England’s strategy.
“In England, you don’t need more than one spinner,” Karthik stated. “If you go in with two, it really weakens your batting. They need to be clear about one thing: they cannot be thinking about what England will do. What England is doing is simple — even if it’s basic bowling, they’re fully committed to executing it.”