Dale Steyn Slams Team India for Resting Bumrah in 2nd Test: ‘Madness’ Like Benching Ronaldo

Former South African pacer Dale Steyn didn’t hold back on Wednesday as he criticised the Indian team management—led by skipper Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir—for resting Jasprit Bumrah in the second Test against England at Edgbaston.

India replaced Bumrah with Akash Deep as part of three changes to the playing XI, a move that left Steyn baffled.

Drawing a dramatic football analogy, Steyn tweeted:

“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! Sh*t, I’m confused.”

Why Was Bumrah Rested?

The decision to rest Bumrah was part of a pre-planned workload management strategy. Ahead of the tour, chief selector Ajit Agarkar had confirmed that Bumrah would feature in only three Tests, as advised by the BCCI medical team.

However, with India trailing 0-1 in the five-match series after their loss in Leeds—and Bumrah delivering a five-wicket haul in the first Test—critics questioned the timing of the decision. Despite the outcry, the team stuck to its plan.

At the toss, Gill explained the reasoning:

“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.”

India ended Day 1 in a strong position at 310/5, buoyed by Gill’s second consecutive century in the series. Still, the absence of Bumrah remains a talking point, especially with pressure mounting to level the series.