Former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara raised questions to the Indian management on resting India’s veteran pacer Jasprit Bumrah for the second test against England at Edgbaston. The 47-year-old was curious to know why Team India and Bumrah prioritized too much for the third test to be played at Lord’s (starting on July 10) rather than focusing on the entire series result.

Earlier, the decision was clear that Bumrah would be rested for two out of five tests to avoid excess workload on him. After the completion of the first test at Headingley, there was an eight-day gap for the next clash to commence.

Shockingly, the visitors rested their key pacer, which left the fans and experts puzzled, especially during one of their toughest tours.

‘Should They Have Altered Their Plans for the 2nd Test’: Sangakkara’s Question to Team India Management

In a recent conversation with Sky Sports, Sangakkara felt that it was important for the Indian management to make a few changes in the plans even if they had fixed any for Bumrah. Also, it was mandatory to implement modifications to the plan, particularly after the outcome of the first match where India lost by 5 wickets.

Here’s what the former Sri Lankan cricketer had to say:

“See! It’s strange to understand how this decision was made. I wonder who makes such decisions. 

I don’t understand if the Lord’s test is as crucial as the series. The outcome of the series depends on this match.

Observing the score on Day 1, it is understood that the fortunes are slightly tilted towards England, with five wickets already down. So, I thought that the Indian head coach might have conveyed to Bumrah that ‘Certainly! We thought you might feature in the playing XI for the 3rd and 5th tests. But, we are planning to go for the first and second. Just take a look if you can play the third test, as you have got two weeks of rest after that,’ Sangakkara said.

‘Lot of Pressure on Gautam Gambhir’: Kumar Sangakkara Points Out

Furthermore, Kumar Sangakkara points out the fact that Gautam Gambhir is currently under pressure as the Indian team’s head coach.

After taking over the coaching role from Rahul Dravid, Gambhir secured some memorable successes in white ball cricket. But, he had a disastrous outing in the longest format after losing 7 out of 9 test matches ever since defeating Bangladesh by 2-0 in a home test series.

While the former head coach Ravi Shastri was the first who open up on his disappointment with Indian team management, Sangakkara becomes the latest to break his silence on this matter:

“NO! The reaction isn’t only about the previous test outcome. I think there is a lot to discuss about India’s last 9 to 10 matches. It includes a sole victory along with seven losses and a draw. There is certainly pressure on him (Gambhir) to change the pattern, and considering this game, they might be thinking, ‘Right! What is the best we can do?’ and they implement all those changes,” Sangakkara explained.

Ex-South African Bowler Questions Indian Management Decision to Rest Bumrah

Dale Steyn, the former South African pacer, posted a tweet on his ‘X’ questioning India’s decision to rest a top fast bowler like Jasprit Bumrah:

“Certainly! Having the world’s best striker like Ronaldo, and if Portugal decides not to choose him, that’s completely called madness. Likewise, India having the world’s talented pacer like Bumrah and preferring to play without him, means I don’t have words to say as I’m confused.” Steyn conveyed his opinion.

India’s Changes to their Playing XI for the Edgbaston Test 2025

Compared to their first test at Headingley, Team India made three changes to their playing XI for the ongoing second test match at Edgbaston.

However, the above three changes have certainly added depth to their batting line-up, particularly their lower order. But what about their bowling attack? Team India compromised on reliable wicket-takers such as Kuldeep Yadav, particularly after resting Bumrah, who is indeed the team’s pillar of the bowling line-up.

Moreover, India’s former opener Sunil Gavaskar also suggested the inclusion of Kuldeep in India’s playing XI. But, once again, he continued to be sidelined for the Edgbaston test too.

Final Opinion

Kumar Sangakkara conveyed the right fact that Gautam Gambhir, under pressure, is continuing to experiment with changes in the playing XI.

Apart from losing 7 out of 9 test matches, the top three veterans, namely Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli, retired from test cricket after playing their last Australian tour, where India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 by 1-3.

As the pressure continues to increase on Gambhir and the entire team management, their strange decisions become questionable by several cricket experts.

While the batting unit has performed well in the first two games, it remains to be seen how India’s bowlers deliver their best performance at Edgbaston in Bumrah’s absence.