Jasprit Bumrah will play only three Tests in the England tour, Gautam Gambhir confirms as part of workload management plan
Jasprit Bumrah took five wickets in the first innings of the Headingley Test, but his performance could not save Team India from defeat in the opening match. Under Shubman Gill’s captaincy, India lost the first Test against England by five wickets.
After the match, another big question came up – will Bumrah play all five Test matches in the series or not? Many fans believed Bumrah’s presence in every match is very important. But Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir gave a very clear answer.
Gautam Gambhir says Bumrah was always going to play only three Tests
Head coach Gautam Gambhir spoke to the media after the first Test and confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah was included in the squad to play only three matches. This plan was made before the series began.
He also said they have not yet finalised which two matches he will play next, but managing his workload is their top priority.
Gambhir said, “Jasprit Bumrah is a valuable player for us. We need to use him carefully. Before the tour started, we had already decided that he will play only three Test matches. Right now, we have not decided which two matches he will play next. It will depend on how his body responds.”
Bumrah did well in the Headingley Test, but didn’t get much support
In the first Test at Headingley, Bumrah took a five-wicket haul in the first innings but did not get any wickets in the second. Even then, his bowling was accurate, and his line and length were solid. But the other bowlers couldn’t support him well.
His efforts alone could not stop England’s batters. On the fifth day of the match, Bumrah did not bowl much, which made people think that he was not overworked and might play more matches in the series.
But Gambhir clearly denied this and said Bumrah will play only three matches. He also confirmed that this decision has nothing to do with the result of the first Test. It was already planned before the series started.
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Gambhir has full faith in young bowlers of the team
When asked if India can still win the series without Bumrah playing every match, Gambhir said they have strong bowlers who can win games. He said, “We fully trust our bowling attack. We do not select players on hope, we pick them based on trust. These pacers are new, but they are improving with every game. Even in the first Test, we were in a good position for the first four days, and even on day five, we had a chance to win. These boys will deliver.”
Can Team India win the series without Bumrah?
Having Jasprit Bumrah play only three Tests out of five could be a tough challenge for India. But Gautam Gambhir is confident that the bowling unit can still help the team come back in the series.
Now, the focus will be on which two matches Bumrah will play next, and how the other bowlers perform in his absence.
The series is not over yet, and India still has time to improve their strategies. But without Bumrah in every match, the team will have to give their full effort in each game.
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