3 reasons why India should rest Jasprit Bumrah for the 2nd Test vs Bangladesh
As India thrashed Bangladesh by 280 runs in the first Test in Chennai, Jasprit Bumrah played a pivotal role. Although he bowled just 21 overs, the ace spearhead picked up five wickets to fire the hosts closer to the World Test Championship final.
Given that Bumrah's workload wasn't too high, India retained the same squad for the second Test and are perhaps unlikely to consider giving him a breather. However, there's still a case to be made for Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir to give the fast bowler a break.
India’s squad for the 2nd Test of the Bangladesh series: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Dayal.
On that note, here are three reasons why India should rest Jasprit Bumrah for the second Test against Bangladesh.
#3 India need to try out the other fast bowlers in the mix
![India's bowlers had it easy in Chennai. [Image: BCCI on X]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/09/0dde0-17272822829603-1920.jpg?w=500)
With Mohammed Shami still injured, India are rather short of options in the fast-bowling department. They played Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep in the first Test against Bangladesh, but neither bowler got much to do.
Going forward, India need to ensure that they give their fringe fast bowlers enough opportunities to make a mark. Apart from Siraj and Deep, the current squad also features Yash Dayal, who earned his maiden call-up to the national team for the series.
If Bumrah is rested, India will be able to play two of the remaining three as their frontline seamers. If the pitch is seam-friendly, they might even be able to play all three.
#2 India should be able to manage without Jasprit Bumrah in Kanpur
The first Test against Bangladesh was a fairly comfortable affair for India, who ran out winners by 280 runs. The Tigers are yet to win a Test against the Men in Blue, and if the series opener is any indication, that statistic is not going to change anytime soon.
India can, therefore, afford to rest Jasprit Bumrah, who's clearly their biggest threat with the ball. Even without their spearhead, the bowling unit should be able to pick up 20 wickets and take the home side to a fairly comfortable win.
Bangladesh's batters didn't cover themselves in glory in Chennai, and if the Kanpur pitch is spin-friendly, India's tweakers could run riot.
#1 India have important series against Australia and New Zealand coming up
The most important factor behind India potentially needing to rest Bumrah is the fact that he needs to be wrapped up in cotton wool going forward. Rohit Sharma and Co. have hugely important series against New Zealand and Australia coming up, with the latter in particular likely to pose an immense challenge to the visiting team Down Under.
Although Bumrah didn't have much to do in the series opener, he is still a bowler who ideally should not be risked in consecutive Tests when possible, especially against oppositions like Bangladesh. India cannot afford to take any risks when it comes to the fitness of their star pacer.