"How does that make sense at all?" - Aakash Chopra on India being undecided about playing Jasprit Bumrah in ENG vs IND 2025 2nd Test

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that a fit and available Jasprit Bumrah potentially missing the second Test against England won't be a sensible decision. He pointed out that India are 1-0 down in the five-match series and will struggle to bounce back if they lose the second Test as well.

The second Test between India and England is scheduled to start in Birmingham on Wednesday, July 2. Despite Bumrah's presence in the bowling attack, the visitors lost the first Test in Leeds by five wickets.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener wondered why Shubman Gill and company are considering resting Bumrah for the second Test if he is available to play.

"Jasprit Bumrah is available. Both Ryan ten Doeschate and Shubman Gill said that. What are we thinking if he is available? If Bumrah is available, and you are trailing 1-0, play him. What are we waiting for?" Chopra said (1:55).

"Will we play him after we are 2-0 down, when we need to win two of the remaining three matches? Then it will be back-to-back, so he will play the third and fifth and miss the fourth. How does that make sense at all?" he added.

In the pre-departure press conference ahead of the England tour, India head coach Gautam Gambhir had disclosed that Jasprit Bumrah would play only three of the five Tests. In press conferences ahead of the second Test, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate and captain Shubman Gill stated that the premier pacer is available for the game, but the final call on his inclusion in the XI would be taken after seeing the pitch.

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"If you play him this one, give him rest in the third, and then play him either the fourth or the fifth" - Aakash Chopra on Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah picked up a five-wicket haul in England's first innings of the Leeds Test. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that Jasprit Bumrah can play the second Test and then either the fourth or the fifth game.

"Either he is available or he is not. If he is available, he needs to play because there was a long gap between the last Test and this match. The gap is not as big between the second and third Test matches. So if you play him this one, give him rest in the third, and then play him either the fourth or the fifth," he said (2:25).

While observing that playing the second and the fourth Test might be a better option, the cricketer-turned-commentator wondered whether the Indian think tank was playing mind games.

"He can easily play second and fourth. The fifth is at The Oval, that pitch is very flat in any case. So, if he is available, then I think Bumrah should be playing. If he is not available, it's a different story altogether. Then why are we hearing that he is available? I don't know what kind of mind games are happening," Chopra elaborated.

Jasprit Bumrah suffered a back injury during the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 in Sydney at the start of the year. The unconventional seamer even asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) not to consider him for Test captaincy as he needs to manage his workload and won't be able to play all five Tests on the ongoing England tour.