Former Team India head coach and commentator Ravi Shastri believes India should think twice before resting pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in the remaining four matches of the five-Test series against England.
Despite losing the series opener by five wickets on Tuesday, head coach Gautam Gambhir maintained that the team would prioritise Bumrah's fitness and stick to their plan of playing him in only three of the five Tests.
Bumrah, who has a history of back injuries, many not play the second Test at Birmingham, which begins on July 2.
"If he (Bumrah) was looking at a rest, you may have to think twice. If you don't have him and then go 0-2 down, it could be an uphill task (to make a come back)," Shastri said on Sky Sports.
The 31-year-old's absence could see the visitors going with an inexperienced attack featuring the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Shardul Thakur against an ultra-aggressive English batting line-up.
While Bumrah picked up 5-140 in 43.4 overs at an economy rate of 3.20 in the first Test in Leeds, the rest struggled with their line and length. Thakur, Siraj and Krishna combined to return with figures of 9/482 from 92 overs.
From early January to the first week of April, Bumrah spent a considerable time in recovery before he made a comeback during IPL 2025.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar stated during the announcement of India's squad for the tour that Bumrah had been advised not to play in back-to-back Tests as part of his workload management. The precaution around Bumrah's usage stems from a back injury he sustained during the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney in January.
Former India batting maestro Sunil Gavaskar had suggested that India should consider playing Bumrah in all five Tests. However, Gambhir quickly turned down the suggestion, claiming they were focusing on the longer-term picture.
"I think for us, managing his workload is more important because there's a lot of cricket going forward, and we know what he brings to the table as well. So, before he came to the tour, it was already decided that he was going to play three Test matches. But let's see how his body turns out," Gambhir told reporters in the post-match press conference.
© 2025