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'I am pleasantly surprised': Ashwin stunned by team's bold move on Bumrah, shares insightful take
Former India bowler Ravichandran Ashwin was left flummoxed to witness Jasprit Bumrah's absence in the , but ended up admitting that it was the right decision on the part of Bumrah. Paying heed to the topic through his YouTube channel, Ashwin stated that he expected the team to push the pacer to play the final Test, but noted that the management may have come to terms with the importance the player holds for Team India and because of that, it may have abstained from trying to persuade him.
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To manage the workload and evade a potential injury, Jasprit Bumrah had conveyed his intention to play only three out of the five Tests in the series. As promised, the pacer only featured in three Tests -1st, 3rd, and 4th- of the series and finished his campaign with 14 wickets.
'I am pleasantly surprised because if this were the Indian team of the past, they would have persuaded Bumrah to play the final Test. Even now, the team management might have looked at it, but from Bumrah's perspective, this is a sound decision. He had already decided that he was going to play only three Tests, and he stuck to that,' Ashwin said on YouTube.
Ashwin on management resting Bumrah in the fifth Test
Ashwin highlighted that Bumrah's longstanding back issue was a factor in his absence from the fifth Test, and believes that resting him could benefit the Indian team in the long term.
'His back issue is not a normal one. It has kept him out of the game for almost two years. He is a valuable asset to the Indian team. So, the decision is the right one, and I am pleasantly surprised. I am very happy that Bumrah is prioritizing his body because in the long run, he will be very useful,' Ashwin added.
Fifth Test hangs in balance
After losing yet another toss, Shubman Gill and co were put to bat first. On a difficult surface to bat on at the Oval, India's innings crumbled like a sack of potatoes and ended up getting 224 on the board. In reply, England had a perfect start, with Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley once again giving the hosts a flying start. England were cruising at 129/1, but wickets began to fall in the second session of Day 2. The Indian bowlers carved their way back into the game and restricted England to 247.
Trailing by 23 runs, Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul gave India a steady start and eradicated the trail at a fine pace. England eventually drew first blood in the form of Rahul, who departed after making just 7 runs. Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan are currently in the middle as India have reached 55/1 after 13 overs, leading by 32 runs.
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