The England skipper Ben Stokes has reacted to the ongoing discussion about the limited availability of Team India's fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. Stokes clearly said that Bumrah's situation is "India's problem," and the England team is only focusing on its strategy. Stokes said this before the second Test match, where England will try to consolidate the lead in the series.
Bumrah has played one test so far, and it is believed that he will play only three matches of this series. However, it is not certain in which of the next two matches he will be seen. In the first Test, Bumrah was the most impressive performer among the Indian bowlers. At the same time, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammad Siraj, and Shardul Thakur could not maintain consistency in their line and length, which did not cause trouble to the England batsmen.
When Stokes was asked a question about Bumrah's availability, he said, without beating around the bush,
"This is India's concern; they will handle it themselves. I am the captain of England; I have to focus on my team. The Indian team is very combative and passionate. They do not give up and work hard."
Stokes also admitted that there is always extra pressure on Indian players, especially in a sport like cricket.
He said,
"There is pressure on every international player, but playing for India is a different thing. Cricket is a passion there, and the players play it with a lot of pride. We shouldn't disregard the previous match's victory; each new match begins anew."
In the first Test, England won by chasing 371 runs on the fifth day, which was their second-biggest successful target in Test history. The biggest victory, chasing 378 runs, they also achieved three years ago against India at Edgbaston. It is clear from this statement that the England team is focused and is not paying attention to the weaknesses of the opposing team. At the same time, India will have to work on the strategy of their bowlers so that they can give a tough fight to England in the next match.