Following India’s defeat in the Leeds Test, the team had a week-long break. Despite this, and the availability of ace bowler Jasprit Bumrah, he was surprisingly excluded from the playing XI in the Birmingham Test. This decision has drawn criticism from former Indian captain and commentator Ravi Shastri. Shastri expressed his surprise, emphasizing the importance of the match and questioning the defensive approach taken by the team. He stated that Bumrah’s absence was hard to believe, especially after a week of rest. Shastri also highlighted that the captain and head coach should make the final decision on the playing eleven, emphasizing the need for an aggressive strategy to level the series. The team’s decision to not include Bumrah appears even more perplexing given India’s history of losing all eight Tests played in Birmingham. Even Bumrah’s wife, Sanjana Ganesan, had encouraged him to play all five Tests.
