Twitterati react to Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s exclusion from India’s WTC final and England Tests

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the Indian fast bowler, has had to work out of his skins to make his way back into the Test team. He last donned the Test jersey when India toured South Africa way back in 2018. From there on, injuries and the emergence of other speedsters have made sure that the Meerut-born has had to warm the benches, though he has featured regularly for the ODI and T20I teams.

Recently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India named the squad for the World Test Championship Final and the Test series against England. Even as they named Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan and Arzan Nagwaswalla as the newcomers, though as standby, Bhuvneshwar remains to be ignored. Kumar recently played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar last played Test cricket in Johannesburg

In 21 Tests since his debut way back in 2013, Kumar has picked up 63 wickets with as many as four five-wicket hauls. His last game was against the Proteas in January 2018 at the iconic Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. It was the same series when Jasprit Bumrah made his Test debut.

In his first-class career. Bhuvneshwar has 218 wickets from 70 games with 12 five-wicket hauls. As far as India’s squad is concerned, Prithvi Shaw also missed out after being left out from the tour of Australia. KL Rahul and Wriddhiman Saha have also been picked but on the subject of their fitness.

India’s squad: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (Captain), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul (subject to fitness clearance), Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper; subject to fitness clearance).

Standby players: Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Arzan Nagwaswalla

The World Test Championship final gets underway on June 18 against New Zealand at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. The tour of England starts in August. In the meantime, the Indian fans aren’t happy for the fact that Bhuvneshwar Kumar couldn’t make the Test squad yet another time. They expressed their displeasure to the world’s richest cricket board.

Here’s how Twitterati reacted

Pretty surprised there's no room for Bhuvi in an enlarged squad for an England tour. Fitness issues yes, but then Ishant is not much different in recent times. I'd have added him, other than that very much expected. https://t.co/k3ypRFnGDR

— Saurabh Malhotra (@MalhotraSaurabh) May 7, 2021

Key pointers:

• Most shocking for me is no Bhuvneshwar Kumar in England

• Kuldeep Yadav dropped

• Hardik Pandya (as a pure batter) is difficult in Tests

• If Prithvi Shaw was dropped for one bad series, he should have been included now#WTCFinal #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/E1MwG028YP

— Yash Lahoti (@YvLahoti) May 7, 2021

So Kuldeep Yadav gets axed from India’s Test squad. Hmmm… not too surprising given his ‘run’ over the past few months. Bigger surprise in Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s absence. Still not Test match fit or surplus for India’s Test requirements? #WTC #ENGvIND

— S. Sudarshanan (@Sudarshanan7) May 7, 2021

Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be sorely missed in England. #ICCWorldTestChampionship

— Debasis Sen (@debasissen) May 7, 2021

Bhuvneshwar Kumar can replace Rohit Sharma as opener and will be an upgrade over him 😭😭😭

— Aivy (@SpiderPant) May 7, 2021

Surprised, not to see BHUVI, KULDEEP in the Squad. #WTCFinal @CricCrazyJohns @mufaddal_vohra @Puneite_ #indvsnz

— Abhay Thakur 🇮🇳जय हिंद, जय भारत🇮🇳 (@abhaythakur28) May 7, 2021

Will forever feel sad of how we could never utilise Bhuvi in the test format, the guy's injury ruined a very promising red ball career and a potential series win in England, 2018.

— Udit (@udit_buch) May 7, 2021

Surprised that in England swinging condition our one of the best swing bowler (Bhuvi) is not even selected. pic.twitter.com/rRaUMAJJPw

— Achint kashyap (@AchintKashyap) May 7, 2021

Indian Test Squad without Bhuvi is like Chicken Biryani without Chicken#WTC21 #TeamIndia #Bhuvi pic.twitter.com/qQDIIThmBh

— Roshan Singh (@CasualRoshan) May 7, 2021