India Maintains Jasprit Bumrah Rest Plan Despite England Test Loss

India's head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that the team will stick to their plan of managing Jasprit Bumrah's workload by playing him in only three of the five Test matches against England, despite their five-wicket loss in the series opener at Headingley. Bumrah took 5 wickets in the first innings but went wicketless in the second as England successfully chased 371 runs. Gambhir emphasized the importance of preserving Bumrah's fitness for the long term, noting that the decision was made before the tour due to Bumrah's recent back injury and the heavy cricket schedule ahead. The coach urged patience with India's inexperienced bowling attack, which struggled in Bumrah's absence and when he was less effective, but expressed confidence in their potential to improve. Gambhir also praised seamers Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur for their contributions and highlighted the need for consistency and experience to bolster the bowling unit. The second Test starts on July 2 in Birmingham, where Bumrah is expected to miss the match as part of the resting strategy.