Even before the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy match, it had been determined that the World In the five-match series against England, top-ranked Jasprit Bumrah will only play three Tests. The team management has been especially careful in handling Bumrah's workload ever since the 31-year-old collapsed during the Sydney Test against Australia because of a back spasm. India are currently 0-1 in the series, and the upcoming Edgbaston Test would see the visitors face the possibility of falling 0-2 if the speedster were given a break.

Bumrah is now more crucial because Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna were both ineffective in the series debut. It's probable that Akash Deep or Arshdeep Singh will be selected for the next competition if the ace speedster isn't included.

In the Headingley Test, Bumrah took five wickets and bowled 43.4 overs. In the first innings, he took all of his scalps. The primary cause for the hosts chasing down 371 to take a 1-0 series lead was the pacer's failure to pick up a single wicket in the second innings.

The major topic of discussion leading up to the second Test has been whether Bumrah will participate or not. Every indication points to India fielding a squad without its bowling genius.

Irfan Pathan, a former India pacer who played for the team in 29 Tests, 120 ODIs, and 24 T20Is, believes that Bumrah should participate in the second Test, which starts on Wednesday, since it will give the side a good chance of tying the five-match series.

Ideally, if you are chosen for the entire tour, you should play in every game unless you are hurt or have niggles. However, Team India and the selectors have difficulty managing their workload. Because he is a jewel of our nation, according to the selectors and Team India, and there are not many of them. As a result, you must take care of them. This is the state of affairs with the team management right now, according to Pathan, who was speaking to the media during a media interaction hosted by the Sony Sports Network in response to a question from the Hindustan Times.

"And that is why there is so much discussion about him playing three test games. From an outside perspective, you would want Bumrah to occasionally bowl from both ends. However, this is not a practical option. However, in my opinion, he should play. That's just my opinion. We are in a far stronger position if he plays. However, it is what it is. We are here. We are in a space where we discuss workload, how to manage the guys, and how to take care of our bodies. On the other hand, I believe that even for a coach, it's quite difficult, he continued.

Sunil Gavaskar and Cheteshwar Pujara urged Bumrah to play every game of the five-match series after his display in Headingley. But following the defeat in the first game, India head coach Gautam Gambhir assured that Bumrah will only play three tests and that there will be no change in strategy.

As no one comes close to Bumrah's skill set, Irfan Pathan expressed sympathy for the team management, saying that he understands the circumstances.

"Regardless of whether Bumrah is playing in a league, a Test cricket, a one-day cricket, or a T20 match, you would want him to play every game," you would ask any coach. But will it actually occur? It's a difficult question, in my opinion. The former India all-rounder said, "I would personally want him to play for me."

Needs of a lesser order must advance

India experienced lower-order collapses in both innings of the Test during the series premiere. India lost seven wickets for 41 runs in their first innings, and the tourists gave up their last six wickets for only 31 runs in their second.

India lost the lead to Ben Stokes and company due mostly to the breakdowns. Pathan believes that if India wants to tie the five-game series, its lower order must perform better in Edgbaston.

"India's top priority is to get their lower-order batting in order. What I observed in the previous match was that we had two opportunities to win the game. Pathan stated that it could occur once, but not twice during the same game.

"Lighting shouldn't strike twice, yet it did for Team India. He continued, "We have to figure this out."

Irfan Pathan added that he would rather see Washington Sundar enter the starting lineup for the second Test. He said that while the call would be hard on Kuldeep Yadav, he also pushed for India to have a larger batting cushion.

"Obviously, if Kuldeep Yadav returns at number eight, you'll have a longer tail. The Indian squad is now in a significant predicament. It's a tough call. I can see that happening in the future, but it's a difficult choice. India may say, all right, we're not seeing any outcomes. We may want to consider genuine five bowlers, such as Kuldeep Yadav. It's possible that could occur, according to Pathan.

"And that might be what we have to do. If you look at the last few Test matches, I believe we just fell down like a pack of cards when it came to the lower-order batting. Therefore, in my opinion, they should start with that. If that doesn't work, you might consider Kuldeep Yadav. However, Kuldeep Yadav is sitting out against England, particularly against those who prefer Bazball. It's also a difficult decision to make for him. It's a difficult decision. However, he continued, "you also need to consider the team combination."

Read Also: India Warned: Playing Jasprit Bumrah at Edgbaston Could Risk His Career Permanently

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