New Delhi: Despite a commanding individual performance by Jasprit Bumrah, India fell short in the opening Test against England in Leeds, losing by a considerable margin and going 0-1 down in the five-match series. While the match saw several standout performances—including five centuries from Indian batters and a five-wicket haul by Bumrah—costly fielding errors and tactical missteps proved to be decisive.
Captain Shubman Gill, on Test captaincy debut, impressed with the bat but faced criticism for his field placements and bowling rotations. India dropped as many as eight catches, and the bowling attack looked over-reliant on Bumrah, who bowled nearly 45 overs across both innings, the second most by an Indian bowler in the match.
With Bumrah expected to feature in three of the five Tests on the tour, there has been talk of possibly resting the 31-year-old for the second Test at Edgbaston to manage his workload. However, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has dismissed that idea, insisting that India must field their strongest XI while trailing in the series.
“After such a good individual performance by Bumrah, and with India down 0-1, I wouldn’t rest him. I would ask him to play the second Test, help India level the series, and then take a break. There’s a good gap between the third and fourth Test where he can rest,” said Ashwin on his YouTube channel.
Ashwin also advised against making sweeping changes, suggesting that a stable team environment is essential, especially after a loss. “I would only bring in Kuldeep Yadav and make no other changes,” he said.
Another major talking point has been the underwhelming performance of Shardul Thakur, who failed to make an impact with the bat and only took two wickets in the match. Some former cricketers have proposed bringing in Nitish Reddy, who impressed during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia and had a decent IPL season.
But Ashwin cautioned against a hasty change, particularly in the batting order.
“Nitish did well in Australia, but his IPL was average. Plus, he played a role similar to Shardul’s, coming in down the order. Are you going to push him into the top six in English conditions just like that? I wouldn’t,” Ashwin argued.
He stressed the importance of maintaining confidence in the current playing XI, noting that frequent changes post-defeats could create a “panic atmosphere” within the squad.
With the second Test set to be played at Edgbaston, the pressure is on India to bounce back and level the series. Bumrah’s fitness and performance will be crucial if India are to recover momentum. For now, Ashwin’s message is clear: keep calm, make minimal changes, and back your match-winners.
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