‘Is Lord’s Test As Important As The Series?’ - Sangakkara Asks Bumrah And Team India

Former Sri Lanka cricketer Kumar Sangakkara questioned the Indian management’s decision to rest spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for the second Test at Edgbaston, and wondered whether both Bumrah and India are giving too much importance to Lord’s, where the third Test will be played. 

It was made clear before the series that Bumrah would only play three of the five Tests due to workload management reasons, but despite eight days gap between the first and second Test, the visitors ended up resting their talisman. It’s a decision that has baffled many, particularly with the series on the line.

Sangakkara, speaking on Sky Sports, asserted that the Indian management, even if they had fixed plans for Bumrah, should have altered all plans after the result of the first game.

"Is Lord's as important as the series? The series is on the line,” Sangakkara asked, speaking on Sky Sports. 

“And as we can see the score [day one], it's an even day, probably with a slight edge to England. So I would have expected the head coach to go to Bumrah and say, ‘Yes, we thought you might play the 3rd and 5th Test but actually we're going to go 1 and 2. Take a look at the 3rd if you can, but then you've got two weeks off after that’.”

Dale Steyn was also among those who were baffled by India’s decision to rest Bumrah.

He wrote on X, “So Portugal have the best striker in the world in Ronaldo and they chose not to play him. That's madness. That’s like India having Bumrah and choosing not to play, umm, him. Wait, oh, no, what! shit I’m confused.”

Bumrah is expected to play the third Test at Lord’s, which starts from July 10.