'Its like benching Ronaldo', Steyn slams India over Bumrah omission from Edgbaston Test

This collage shows India's Jasprit Bumrah (left) walking off the field after taking five wickets on Day Three of the 1st Rothesay Test between England and India at Headingley, Leeds, on June 22, 2025. On the right is an undated picture of former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn. — AFP/ICC

BIRMINGHAM: Former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn on Wednesday took a swipe at the Indian team management for resting pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in the second Test against England at Edgbaston, comparing the decision to Portugal benching Cristiano Ronaldo.

India made three changes to their playing XI after a defeat in the first Test at Headingley, Leeds. One of the most notable omissions was Bumrah, who had starred in the opening match with a five-wicket haul in the first innings.

The decision to rest him, despite trailing 0-1 in the five-match series, raised eyebrows across the cricketing world.

Taking to X formerly Twitter, Steyn expressed disbelief over India’s decision to bench their match-winner, drawing a dramatic football analogy.

“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,” wrote Steyn.

The Indian team replaced Bumrah with uncapped pacer Akash Deep, signaling an intent to manage player workload across the series. Bumrah expected to feature in only three of the five Tests in England.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir had previously said that Bumrah’s inclusion would depend on match conditions and the overall strategy, emphasising that there were no rigid pre-set limits on his participation.

It is pertinent to mention that Bumrah delivered a sensational bowling performance in the first Test between India and England at Headingley, Leeds, equalling a long-standing record held by Indian legend Kapil Dev.

Bumrah claimed a five-wicket haul—his 12th in Test cricket—to match Kapil Dev’s record for the most five-wicket hauls in overseas Tests by an Indian bowler. Remarkably, Bumrah achieved this milestone in just 34 Tests, while Kapil reached the same number in 66 matches.

He also broke Pakistan legend Wasim Akram’s long-standing record during their ongoing first Test against England here at the Headingley.

Bumrah became the Asian bowler with the most Test wickets in SENA countries – South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia.

Bumrah is now ahead of Pakistan’s Akram and compatriots Anil Kumble, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami.

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