Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan praised Ben Stokes’ fitness and effort after England’s 22-run win over India in the third Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test at Lord’s. The England captain bowled long spells despite various surgeries in the past year.
Irfan Pathan gently raised the issue of player workload in modern cricket by citing Stokes’ physical and mental resilience. He implied that India’s workload strategy limited Jasprit Bumrah to three Tests.
Ben Stokes bowled a 9.2-over morning spell on day five. What a player. He bowlers, bats, and runs Rishabh Pant out, but workload management is not discussed.
Irfan Pathan on YouTube stated India is different.
“Bumrah bowls five overs and waits for Joe Root to bat in the second innings to control the game. I was disappointed. He managed his workload without playing at Edgbaston. No work comes with playing a match. You must win at all costs. He stated that the Indian camp should have done better.
Since India’s Test squad for the England tour was announced in May, Bumrah’s availability for the five-match series has been a hot subject. The squad rested the ace pacer for the Edgbaston Test after the series opener at Headingley as part of their workload management policy.
In contrast, England skipper bowled long stretches at Lord’s in challenging circumstances. Hit-the-deck style, especially in heat, made his effort more impressive. Pathan also praised Jofra Archer for maintaining his pace for nearly 40 overs, including lengthy second-innings stints at Lord’s.
He felt India may learn from Archer’s spell management during important stages of the match when managing their fast-bowling resources.
Archer played a Test match four years later and kept going. He bowled six overs in the morning before bowling again. Irfan stated Ben Stokes didn’t consider workload; if he could bowl nine overs, Indian pacers were left behind.
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