Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar made a stunning claim about the management not wanting to play Jasprit Bumrah in all five Tests during the England tour. With Team India losing the two out of three Tests that Bumrah played in, Manjrekar claimed that it was poetic justice that it happened.
Before India departed for England, the think tank had declared that the star bowler will only play three out of five Tests and it accordingly happened. The tourists lost the opening Test at Headingley and third at Lord's, while the fixture in Manchester resulted in a draw. The two Tests won by the Asian Giants at The Oval and Edgbaston didn't feature Bumrah.
Writing in his column for The Hindustan Times, Manjrekar stated that Bumrah should not be the first-choice pick, regardless of the skill-level over players who are match fit.
"It reminded us of the eternal truth of sport and life, no one, however great, is indispensable. And this is how India must handle Bumrah. If he cannot play more than two matches in a row or sometimes even more than one, he must not be your frontline pick. It was poetic justice that the two Tests India won were two matches Bumrah did not play. Players who are match fit, eager, keen to play and perform should be picked any day for me over a highly skilled player. It will motivate such enthusiastic players even more."
Jasprit Bumrah finished the series with 14 wickets in 3 Tests
In the three Tests that the star bowler played, he took 14 scalps alongside five-wicket hauls at Headingley and Lord's. The 31-year-old seemed to have run out of steam in the third Test in Manchester and was largely ineffective, managing only one wicket.
He is likely to be rested for the home series against South Africa and West Indies.
