He should play when the series is alive...': Ex-India selector's big verdict on Jasprit Bumrah's participation in second Test

Jasprit Bumrah was once again the only shining light of the Indian bowling department during their clash against England in the first Test of the five-match series at Headingley. The star pacer took a five-wicket haul during the first innings and this managed to get the Men in Blue a slender six-run lead heading into their second innings. However, Bumrah ended up going wicket-less in the final innings and no other bowler was able to step up as the hosts chased down the target of 371 on the final day to win the match by five wickets and take a 1-0 lead in the series.

Bumrah will reportedly not be featuring in the second Test

Following the conclusion of the match, speculations began as to if Bumrah will play in the second Test which is set to commence from July 2 at Edgbaston. Then, a report by the Indian Express claimed that Bumrah will be on the bench for the match in Birmingham. This came after India head coach Gautam Gambhir had made it clear after the defeat in the series opener that Bumrah will only be featuring in three out of the five Tests as the 31-year-old needs to take care of his body.

Notably, Bumrah bowled a total of 44.4 overs during the Headingley Test and was the only Indian bowler who constantly caused problems for the England batters at the crease. The match once again showcased that the Men in Blue are heavily dependant on the pacer when it comes to taking wickets in crucial moments. Without the presence of the pacer, the Indian bowling attack will inevitably become significantly weaker and is likely to get dominated by opposing batters in the second Test.

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Thus, former India cheif selector MSK Prasad believes that Bumrah should play the second match as the series is still alive, but also added that the management may have to take a tough call in order to manage the pacer's workload.

"That is a tough call indeed for the team management. He should ideally play when the series is alive but the management knows best on how to manage his workload," Prasad told PTI.

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If Bumrah does sit on the sidelines for the second Test, either Arshdeep Singh or Akash Deep may get the chance to be in the playing XI. One of them will join the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur, forming the Men in Blue's pace force for the match.