England vs India

Leaving out Bumrah like benching Ronaldo, says Dale Steyn

Online Desk

6 hrs ago

Jasprit Bumrah [L] and Cristiano Ronaldo

Former South African pace legend Dale Steyn was left stunned by India’s team selection for the Edgbaston Test against England — particularly by the decision to leave out star pacer Jasprit Bumrah.

Drawing a sharp comparison, Steyn likened the move to Portugal benching Cristiano Ronaldo, calling it nothing short of madness.

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Social media and cricket circles erupted as soon as India’s playing XI for the Edgbaston Test was announced. The buzz had already begun well before the series, with concerns over Bumrah’s fitness and workload.

There were early indications that he would not play all five Tests, but many experts believed that with a week-long break between Headingley and Edgbaston, he would return for this crucial encounter — especially with India trailing in the series.

However, India’s decision to rest their premier fast bowler caught many off guard. Reacting on social media, Steyn posted:

“Portugal have the world’s best striker Ronaldo… and they decide not to play him? That’s just madness! Not picking Bumrah is the same thing… umm… wait… oh no, what is going on! Man, I’m confused!”

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At the toss, Indian captain Shubman Gill offered an explanation:

“It’s about workload management. We’ve had a good break, and yes, this match is important. But the next one is at Lord’s, where we expect even more assistance for pacers. So, we felt it was better to have him ready for that one.”

However, Gill’s reasoning hasn’t convinced many. Former India coach Ravi Shastri, now a commentator on Sky Sports, criticized the decision on air, while England great Stuart Broad also expressed disbelief over Bumrah’s omission.

In Bumrah’s place, swing bowler Akash Deep was handed a chance. As India batted first on Day 1, the controversy somewhat settled temporarily, thanks to Shubman Gill’s second consecutive Test century, which helped India post 310 for 5 at stumps.