India Test captain Shubman Gill ended all speculations around Jasprit Bumrah when he announced, “No Bumrah.” Down 0-1 in a five-match Test series and after an eight-day break, the India team management, despite announcing Bumrah’s availability, decided to rest the premier fast bowler. The decision did not go down well among fans and two former India captains, Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri. Both called the decision hard to believe.
“The matter should have been taken care of by the captain and the head coach. No ifs and buts, he should have played. It’s hard to believe that he is not after a week-long break,” Ravi Shastri said, slamming India’s decision to rest Bumrah in the IND vs ENG Edgbaston Test.
“Baffling. If you are bowling first, you need him more than anyone else. You are keeping him for Lord’s,” Gavaskar said on Sony Sports.
Jasprit Bumrah workload
It’s not that Bumrah is overworked. It’s his persistent lower-back problem due to his unorthodox bowling action that creates an issue. In 2022, Bumrah underwent a second surgery for a lower back stress fracture. He missed two months of action after suffering a recurring back injury in Australia. Hence, he has been under strict workload management guidelines.
Statistically, Mohammed Siraj has bowled the most overs by an Indian pacer since 2023. But Bumrah is second. Since 2023, Bumrah has bowled 603.5 overs across formats, bagging 82 wickets, averaging 15.87. Add IPL to the mix and his workload increased significantly.
But India got a warning sign in Australia, forcing Team India to enforce stricter workload management. During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Bumrah bowled 151.2 overs and was ruled out of the second innings of the Sydney Test as he injured his back again. The injury ruled Bumrah out for two months, forcing him to miss the ICC Champions Trophy. He returned in IPL ahead of the England tour but with a strict warning. Bumrah could only play three Tests and not more than that.
India’s bowling in Leeds
| Player | Inns | Overs | Runs | Wkts | BBI | Avg | Econ | SR |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 2 | 43.4 | 140 | 5 | 5/83 | 28.00 | 3.20 | 52.40 |
| Prasidh Krishna | 2 | 35.0 | 220 | 5 | 3/128 | 44.00 | 6.28 | 42.00 |
| Shardul Thakur | 2 | 16.0 | 89 | 2 | 2/51 | 44.50 | 5.56 | 48.00 |
| Mohammed Siraj | 2 | 41.0 | 173 | 2 | 2/122 | 86.50 | 4.21 | 123.00 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 2 | 47.0 | 172 | 1 | 1/104 | 172.00 | 3.65 | 282.00 |
The post Hard to believe: Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar slam Gautam Gambhir for resting Jasprit Bumrah appeared first on Inside Sport India.
