Dale Steyn flummoxed, calls out Gambhir's 'madness' in Bumrah call: 'It's like Portugal not playing Cristiano Ronaldo'
Former South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn, on Wednesday, lashed out at the Indian team management, comprising captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir, for not playing Jasprit Bumrah in the second Test match against England in Birmingham. India replaced Bumrah with Akash Deep in the line-up, which was among the three changes they made for the match. India's Jasprit Bumrah, left, carries refreshments for captain Shubman Gill during a break on day one of the second cricket test match between England and India at Edgbaston(AP)
Steyn could not wrap his head around the fact that India chose to rest Bumrah for the Edgbaston Test, saying it was similar to Portugal benching Cristiano Ronaldo.
'So Portugal have the best striker in the world in Ronaldo and they chose not to play him. That's madness. That's like India having Bumrah and choosing not to play, umm, him… wait, oh, no, what! shit I'm confused,' Steyn tweeted. Why was Jasprit Bumrah not picked for 2nd Test?
If one thing was clear about the Indian team touring England was that Bumrah would play just three Test matches in order to manage his workload. The decision as taken after a strict advice from the BCCI medical team, as revealed by chief selector Ajit Agarkar during squad announcement in May.
With India down 0-1 in the Test series following the loss in Leeds, experts urged the management to not rest Bumrah for the second game in Birmingham, especially after the 31-year-old picked up a five-wicket in the first innings in the opening Test match amid a no-show from his fellow quicks. But Gambhir and Gill paid no heed to the call as they announced that Bumrah would warm the bench during the Edgbaston Test.
'Just to manage his workload. We did get a good break and this is an important match for us. But the third Test being at Lord's, we think there'll be more in that pitch so we'll use him there,' Gill explained at the toss.
India ended Day 1 in the second Test at 310 for five after the captain scored a second consecutive ton in the series.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
23 minutes ago
- Time of India
'NSP's 360-degree approach can pitchfork India as superpower'
PT Usha (PTI Photo) The new sports policy, christened the Khelo Bharat Niti, could not have been better timed. Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's vision to transform India into healthy and sporty nation by 2047 is fundamental to becoming a global powerhouse. Implemented in totality, the 360-degree approach of Khelo Bharat Niti and its collaborative model can make India a force to reckon with. The definition of sports has changed. 'Olympism' is at the heart of sports. It is not about winning medals alone. It is about enhancing awareness, understanding your health, uplifting your body and mind to achieve excellence. Khelo Bharat Niti attempts to ride sports for social development and make it a people's movement. I must mention how PM Modi's Fit India movement is making a significant impact regardless of age and gender. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! One unique aspect of PM Modi's vision is that it is conservative in approach. No big talk and it does not sell dreams. The government attempts to channelize youthfulness into by-products that will help build a Viksit Bharat. Development model which cannot be weighed in terms of winning medals at the global competitions alone. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Poll How important is the alignment of sports policy with the National Education Policy for young athletes? Very important Somewhat important Not important One needs to set a process to achieve results and when we think of the several government initiatives like Khelo India, Target Olympic Podium Scheme etc., that process is already in place. Only some fine tuning, adjustments, a consolidated and positive approach among stakeholders are needed. One major aspect of the new sports policy is its alignment with the National Education Policy. I have personally felt the impact of sports at the school level. Before I excelled at the state, national and international arenas, I was first a school games champion. My roots were strong because I was honing my strengths from my school days. Additionally, block-level sports infrastructure will be developed to ensure that even the most rural or remote areas have access to facilities, fostering inclusivity and engagement. If this happens, we will have an infra pyramid and a well-oiled feeder line that can benefit the country in the long run. EXCLUSIVE | David Gower on Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah and India's England tour As Indian Olympic Association president, it gives me great hope that Khelo Bharat Niti will pave the way for Indian athletes to make a mark at the 2036 Olympics. We have bid for the Games and still have 11 years to prepare. It takes anything between eight to 12 years to develop into a potential Olympic medallist. If Khelo Bharat Niti is implemented in letter and spirit, we can see golden days ahead. Talking of the ecosystem, while athletes and their coaches remain our biggest priority, administrators have to play their roles as well. The sports policy attempts at complete transparency in governance and an effective process that is gender neutral, sustainable, impartial and believes in fair play. We can achieve great results if the ecosystem is seamless and we constantly find solutions to issues we face. Corporates need to look at the bigger picture and their main objective should be the welfare of athletes, nothing else. Every successful nation at the Olympics not only showcases great athletes but a unified Olympic committee that prides itself in meeting the objectives to attain excellence on and off the pitch. Khelo Bharat Niti will help reach the desired solidarity among National Sports Federations which make key decisions to make athletes shine. It is important that everyone is on the same page and there is a solution for every problem. Consolidation of ideas, opportunity at every age level, development of infrastructure and multiple platforms to express one's skills are fundamental to sporting development and the new sports policy is therefore a perfect roadmap to enhance the culture of sports in India. (PT Usha is a former international athlete and the president of IOA) Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Hindustan Times
32 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
IND vs ENG Live Updates: Shubman Gill to resume battle alongside Ravindra Jadeja as India look for 500
IND vs ENG Live India vs England 2nd Test Day 2: Follow Latest Updates IND vs ENG Live Updates, India vs England 2nd Test Day 2: The Edgbaston clash moves to the second day as the match currently hangs in the balance. India finished Day 1 at 310/5, thanks to an unbeaten century from captain Shubman Gill (114*) and a composed knock from Ravindra Jadeja (41*). After losing five wickets in the first two sessions, India were under pressure and England sensed an opening. However, the resilient partnership between Gill and Jadeja steadied the innings and clawed India back into the match, setting up an intriguing second day in Birmingham. ...Read More With the onus now on Gill, the Indian skipper faces a crucial challenge on Day 2 — to convert his unbeaten century into a massive score and guide India past the 500-run mark. His ability to build on the solid foundation will be key to applying scoreboard pressure on England, especially after they chose to bowl first. With pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah rested as part of workload management, India will be keen to post a formidable total to give their revamped bowling attack enough runs to defend and stay alive in the series. Shubman showed great control during his knock on Day 1 and didn't give England any chance when he was there in the middle. His presence helped Ravindra Jadeja to get his mojo back, and now he also has the responsibility to convert the start into a big score. With Washington Sundar coming next to bat, India will be a bit relaxed than they were in Leeds as the team management rates the left-hander's batting high. India were wobbling at 211 for five, but Ravindra Jadeja once again proved his mettle in overseas conditions with a gritty unbeaten 41 off 67 balls. Teaming up with captain Shubman Gill, who stood firm at the other end, the duo stitched a vital 99-run partnership to pull India back into the contest and ensure they ended the day on a much stronger note. England had their moments with the ball — Chris Woakes claimed two key scalps, while Ben Stokes, Brydon Carse, and Shoaib Bashir picked up one wicket each to keep the pressure on. India were left to rue two dramatic batting collapses — losing 7 for 41 in the first innings and 6 for 31 in the second — which ultimately proved costly. Despite setting what looked like a challenging 371-run target, England chased it down with relative ease, sealing a five-wicket win to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. They have to avoid making the same mistake and the tail has to put some fight today to get some cushion. Follow all the updates here: July 3, 2025 12:05 PM IST IND vs ENG Live Updates, India vs England 2nd Test Day 2: Hello and welcome to our live blog of Day 2 of 2nd Test match between India and England from Edbaston.
Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
Wimbledon 2025: Bollipalli-Barrientos pair prevails in opener
LONDON: India's Rithvik Bollipalli and Colombia's Nicolas Barrientos saved four match points in their men's doubles first-round clash to walk away winners against the BelgianFrench pairing of David Goffin and Alexandre Muller. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Bollipalli punctuated the match with the pair's seventh ace after two hours and 19 minutes of play. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. The Indo-Colombian duo rode on the support of the Indian spectators gathered around Court 8 making for a carnival atmosphere, and fought back from 6-9 in the super tie-break. They then closed out the match on their second match point. Bollipalli and Barrientos played the bigger game, striking 14 winners to wrap-up a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (11) win. In another first-round match, the 16th seeds in the men's doubles draw, India's Yuki Bhambri and American Robert Galloway, came up with a strong serving performance to score a straight-set win over Romain Arneodo and Manuel Guinard. Bhambri and Galloway, playing on Court No.5, punched out a 7-6 (8), 6-4 win in one-hour 48-minutes. Meanwhile, and Belgian Sander Gille went down to the third seeds Germany's Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz 6-3, 6-4 in 64 minutes.
