Mark Butcher says India must play Jasprit Bumrah in 2nd Test against England

Former England batter Mark Butcher said India must play Jasprit Bumrah in the second Test match against England as the visitors can not afford to go 0-2 down in the series. Bumrah was the pick of the Indian bowlers in the first innings of the opening Test as he returned with impressive figures of 5-83.

However, it has been pre decided that Bumrah would play only three out of the five Test matches against England. Bumrah has had a seven day rest after the conclusion of the opening Test, in which he bowled a total of 43.4 overs.

Bumrah had suffered a back injury in the fifth Test match against Australia at Sydney and since then it has been decided to keep a close watch on his workload.

Mark Butcher said on Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast, “Bumrah is going to be a huge talking point as to whether or not this is one of his three Test matches. I think it has to be, it absolutely has to be. Six day break after Headingley, 1-0 down, he plays. I know he wants to play at Lord’s but the needs of the team and the series are more important than his wish to play a Test at Lord’s.”

“And who knows, he might get through this one okay and be fine for Lord’s, and then you take your chances at the back-end.”

On the other hand, Butcher backed the inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh in the playing XI in place of Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna.

“First and foremost, depending on what you’ve got in you squad, you try and pick bowlers that the opposition – England, with their shot-making preference – would like the least. What they would very much enjoy are mid to low eighties seam bowlers. What they would enjoy much less than that is left-arm leg spin, if you have one – and India do have one. That would be the starting point,” said Butcher (via the aforementioned source).

“A left-arm swing bowler is also perhaps an option. If Arshdeep [Singh] comes in, I think Prasidh Krishna was found wanting…. If you can manage it, you go Siraj, Bumrah, Arshdeep, Kuldeep, Jadeja, and you take the cards where they fall with your batting. Simply because – I said it at the time during the first Test match – I couldn’t see how Shardul was going to make enough runs to make up for his lack of potency with the ball.”

The second Test match between India and England will be played at Edgbaston, Birmingham from July 2nd onwards.