'Bumrah bowls five overs and then waits for Joe Root to come out, when you need to control the game. His workload was managed as he did not play at Edgbaston.'
Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan criticised India's workload management approach as he believes controlling restricting the number of overs sent down by pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah during the Lord's Test proved crucial.
Pathan pointed out how England captain Ben Stokes bowled his heart out in the third Test with long spells especially during India's second innings on the final day despite recently returning from an injury.
Stokes, who was adjudged the Player of the Match for his valiant effort in England's 22-run victory, bowled 44 overs in total -- the third most he has sent down in a Test match. He also contributed with vital knocks of 44 and 33 with the bat, while running out Rishabh Pant at a crucial juncture in India's first innings.
Bumrah delivered a total of 43 overs across the two innings at Lord's, after he had taken a break in the second Test at Edgbaston. He picked up 5/74 in 27 overs in the first innings, while taking 2/38 in 16 overs in the second.
On the other hand, despite his workload management concerns, Stokes pushed his body and bowled a tenacious 9.2 over spell on the morning of the fifth day when England were defending only 192. His relentless effort bore fruit as he claimed the priceless wicket of the well-settled K L Rahul.
He didn't restrain himself and bowled a 10-over spell after lunch, during which he ended Jasprit Bumrah's resistance to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
"Ben Stokes bowled a 9.2-over spell in the morning on Day 5. He is a 4D player. He bowls, bats, and even executes the crucial run out of Rishabh Pant -- yet there's no talk of workload management when he bowls," Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
"But with India, it's different. Bumrah bowls five overs and then waits for Joe Root to come out, when you need to control the game. His workload was managed as he did not play at Edgbaston. When you are playing a match, there is no workload," he added.
Bumrah, who has a history of back injuries, has been scheduled to play only three Tests of the five-match series. 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.
Pathan pointed out that if Stokes can manage to bowl consistently lengthy spells, India could have possibly missed a trick by not pushing its mainstay.
Tearaway Jofra Archer returned to the Test format after four years of absence, a phase during which injuries plagued him. Despite being short on experience and gametime, he notched up 150kph to send shivers down Indian batters' spines. He bowled in tandem with Stokes, scythed priceless wickets and finished with match figures of 5/105.
"Jofra Archer was playing a test after four years, and he bowled a six-over spell in the morning and came back to bowl more. Ben Stokes didn't think about workload at all. He does everything. If he can bowl a nine-over spell for his country, then we fell short in this aspect," pointed out Pathan.
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