The biggest talking point before the India vs England Test series kicks off on June 20 is Jasprit Bumrah. The pacer could be a key player if the visitors wish to succeed against Ben Stokes’ home team. It was Bumrah who helped India end their ICC trophy drought in the T20 World Cup 2024 and was the reason why India didn’t lose the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 0-4.
Gambhir & Agarkar on Bumrah’s workload
But Bumrah has had fitness issues for the last 5 years. Therefore, the Indian management and selectors have decided to be judicious about using him as India’s biggest weapon. Before the India vs England Test series, chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir had claimed that to ensure Bumrah remains fit, he won’t play more than 3 matches.
“I don’t think he will be available for five Tests as far as the physios and doctors have told us. Whether it’s four or three, I think we will see how the series goes and how his body can take the workload,” Agarkar had said when announcing the squad.
“We haven’t taken that call, which three games is he going to play,” Gambhir had told reporters in England.
Cricket 8 mins VVS Laxman becomes temporary India head coach in Gautam Gambhir’s absenceGill’s opinion on Bumrah’s availability
But India’s new Test captain Shubman Gill doesn’t agree with what the chief selector and head coach had stated. Asked about which three Test matches Bumrah will play against England by Dinesh Karthik, Gill said that he doesn’t have any predefined plans. And it might just happen that the pacer plays more than three Tests.
He points out that rain might wash out a Test match or delay it, which can give Bumrah ample time to recover. This could mean he plays an extra Test. One of the games might just end in 3 days, which will also give a lot of time for the pacer to kick his feet up. Of course, it’ll be the physios and the medical team that’ll determine where Bumrah’s fitness is but Gill isn’t sticking to Agarkar and Gambhir’s 3-match theory.
“Depending on how we go about matches, you know, there might be rain in one of the matches. So I think it’s more based on match-to-match and seeing how much workload there has been on him. And that’s what you’re trying to look at. You see how much workload he has had in this match. We don’t want to have a predetermined set: ‘Okay, these are the matches that he would want to play.’ Because there are so many factors that can go or not go in your favour that can determine whether he is going to play the next match or not,” Gill told Sky Sports Cricket.
Jasprit Bumrah workload: Gill disagrees with Agarkar & Gambhir’s 3-match theory for IND vs ENG Tests Inside Sport India.
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