Jasprit Bumrah, India’s premier fast bowler, will not feature in all five Test matches of the upcoming series against England, starting June 20, confirmed head coach Gautam Gambhir.
With the team’s focus on workload management, the Indian think tank has hinted at a rotational strategy, particularly for Bumrah to keep him fresh and effective throughout the series. Notably, Bumrah has been dealing with back issues for quite some time now.
India have named a large pool of pacers for the five-match Test series, including Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur along with Jasprit Bumrah.
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India Banking on Pace Depth as Jasprit Bumrah Likely to Miss Two Tests in England Series
Before boarding the flight to England, India’s head coach Gambhir and Test captain Shubman Gill addressed the media on Thursday. In the press conference, the duo was asked about the extent of Bumrah’s participation in the series to which Gambhir replied that the speedster will miss two Test matches.
Gambhir confirmed that the team has not fixed which specific matches Bumrah will play. They will decide this based on how the series unfolds.
"Not decided which 3 Tests Jasprit Bumrah will play. Lot of will depend on the results and where the series is header. We have picked enough bowlers. Lot our of pacers are in great space to win us Test matches from any position. When you have someone like Jasprit Bumrah, depending on how many matches he plays, will be a great sight for us," Gambhir said as quoted in the presser.
He further acknowledged Bumrah’s value but also expressed confidence in the depth of the pace attack.
"It's difficult to replace Jasprit Bumrah but I said during Champions trophy, we have enough quality," he added.
India's newly-appointed Test skipper Gill also shared his thoughts on the pace battery and Bumrah’s involvement in the series.
"Lot of our fast bowlers are in a great space to win us Test matches from any position. Obviously someone like Jasprit Bumrah, whenever he would play it would be a great sight for us. But we have a great mix of bowlers," Gill stated.
With the five-match series spread out over nearly 40 days, the management is expected to rotate its quicks to avoid burnout. While Bumrah’s presence is a major boost, India appear prepared to manage his workload smartly without compromising on their competitiveness.
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Jasprit Bumrah Reportedly Turns Down Test Captaincy Offer
Earlier, it was reported that Bumrah had politely turned down the offer to lead India in Test cricket on a full-time basis following Rohit Sharma’s retirement. According to sources close to the team, Bumrah cited workload management as a reason for his decision.
Gill will lead India in this new era, while Rishabh Pant has been named his deputy.
