There are no intentions to change Jasprit Bumrah’s workload during the current Test series against England, according to Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir. Despite India’s five-wicket loss in the first Test match at Headingley, Leeds, this choice was made.
Due to his back problems, it was initially anticipated that the right-arm pacer would only play in three of the five games of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) series. But according to Gautam Gambhir, unless there are special circumstances, Bumrah will be eligible for selection during the series.
“I think for us to manage Bumrah’s workload is more important because there’s a lot of cricket going forward and we know what he brings to the table as well,” Gautam Gambhir stated.
“It was originally determined that he would play three Test matches prior to his arrival on this tour, but we’ll have to wait and see how his body holds up. However, we still haven’t determined which two more Test matches he will participate in,” he continued.
Bumrah went wicketless in the second innings after making an impressive five-wicket haul in the first. During England’s successful chase, Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna were the only other seamers to take two wickets apiece, as the rest of the bowling attack found it difficult to contribute significantly.
One bowler in this bowling attack has played five Test matches, another has played four, a third has played two, and a fifth has not yet made his debut. We’ll have to wait for them. In the past, our team included four fast bowlers with over 40 Test match experience. Experience is important when travelling to Australia, England, or South Africa for Test matches, but it doesn’t really matter in one-day or Twenty20 matches.
“This is just the beginning,” Gautam Gambhir remarked.
Gambhir stressed that evaluating bowlers following each Test match will not contribute to the development of a potent bowling unit. He admitted that although the present group of bowlers is inexperienced, they are of the required calibre. He went on to say that these bowlers can develop and play Indian cricket in the red-ball format for a very long time if they have steady support.
“How will we build a bowling attack if we begin evaluating our bowlers following each Test? We don’t have much experience outside of Bumrah and (Mohammad) Siraj, but they are in this dressing room because they are good. However, since it’s not about a single tour, we must continue to support them. Building a fast-bowler battery that can support India for many years in Test cricket is the goal, Gambhir said.
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