Former South African fast bowling legend Dale Steyn has strongly criticized the Indian team management for leaving out ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah from the playing XI in the second Test against England at Edgbaston.
The move, which sparked intense debate among fans and experts alike, was compared by Steyn to the bizarre idea of Portugal benching Cristiano Ronaldo in a crucial football match.
Despite India trailing 0-1 in the five-match series, Jasprit Bumrah who starred with a five-wicket haul in the opening Test was left out of the second match to manage his workload.
Steyn’s explosive reaction
Taking to social media, Steyn expressed disbelief over India’s decision to rest their best fast bowler in such a key match. In a sarcastic post, he wrote that leaving out Bumrah was no less than “madness” and equated it to not playing Ronaldo even when fully fit.
So Portugal have the best striker in the world in Ronaldo and they chose not to play him.
— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) July 2, 2025
Thats madness.
That’s like India having Bumrah and choosing not to play, umm, him… wait, oh, no, what! shit I’m confused 😵💫
The frustration seemed to stem from Bumrah’s visible dominance in the series opener, where none of his fellow fast bowlers could make much of an impact.
Why India rested Bumrah?
According to team management and BCCI's selection committee, Bumrah was expected to play only three out of five Tests in the England series. This plan was made clear by chief selector Ajit Agarkar during the squad announcement in May 2025. The decision was medically backed to avoid overburdening Bumrah, who has had previous injury concerns.
At the toss, India captain Shubman Gill clarified that resting Bumrah was a strategic call keeping the Lord’s Test in mind, where conditions are expected to suit pace bowling even more.
“This is an important match, but we feel the pitch at Lord’s could offer more. We want to manage Bumrah's workload accordingly,” Gill said.
As part of three changes to the playing XI, India brought in Akash Deep to replace Jasprit Bumrah for the second Test. The second day of play will be closely watched to see how the new bowling unit performs without their spearhead.
The decision to rest Bumrah has not gone down well with several former cricketers and a section of fans who believe India should have fielded their strongest XI after the defeat in the first Test.
However, others have supported the idea of preserving Bumrah for longer spells across the five-Test series, especially with tight scheduling and injury risks in mind.
What’s next?
With India posting a strong total of 310/5 on Day 1 thanks to Gill’s century and Jaiswal’s 87 the focus will now shift to whether the Indian bowling attack can step up in Bumrah’s absence.
Quick Summary:
- Bumrah rested for 2nd Test for workload management
- Dale Steyn slams the decision, calls it “madness”
- Akash Deep replaces Bumrah in the XI
Though India is down 0-1 in the series, they bounced back with a commanding start, posting 310/5 by stumps on Day 1.