Jasprit Bumrah collected 14 wickets from three Tests against England.
Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin believes that the Indian team management must reconsider the workload management with respect to pacer Jasprit Bumrah.
Bumrah played just three matches in the five-match Test series against England that concluded earlier this month. However, it had been decided prior to the series that the Gujarat pacer would only play three Tests. This was because of the back spasm that Bumrah had sustained during the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney earlier this year.
He eventually missed the limited-overs series against England, the 2025 Champions Trophy and the start of IPL 2025 with Mumbai Indians (MI). “If there is an injury issue, then the Board and the player have to decide. However, I feel once you are in the team, you can’t pick and choose your matches. There is a workload, but at this level, you must manage it. You are playing for the country,” Azharuddin told Mid-Day.
Bumrah finished with 14 wickets from three matches against England. This included two five-wicket hauls, both of which came in losing causes. Mohammed Siraj was the highest wicket-taker in the series with 23 scalps, whereas Prasidh Krishna (14 wickets) and Akash Deep (13) also performed well.
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109/2
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108/4
Zagreb Sokol beat Sir Oliver Split by 8 wickets
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103/4
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138/6
Rijeka Markhors won by 35 runs
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Hubli Tigers beat Shivamogga Lions by 29 runs
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“It was a different story that Siraj, along with Prasidh [Krishna] and Akash Deep, rose to the occasion, and we were fortunate that we could win without Bumrah, but what happens if India needs Bumrah badly in a particular situation?,” the 62-year-old said.
The five-match Test series between England and India ended 2-2, with the fourth Test at Old Trafford ending in a draw. This meant that both the teams shared the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. England began the series with a victory in the first Test at Headingley, only for India to level the series 1-1 in the second Test at Edgbaston.
India came close in the third Test at Lord’s, where England won by 22 runs to take a 2-1 lead. The drawn fourth Test at Old Trafford was followed by India’s thrilling six-run win in the fifth Test at The Oval, which meant that the series was shared 2-2.
India’s next assignment is the 2025 Asia Cup, which will start from September 9. India are in Group A for the eight-team tournament, along with Pakistan, Oman and UAE. India will begin their campaign against UAE in Dubai on September 10, before facing Pakistan four days later at the same venue. India will then play their final group stage match against Oman in Abu Dhabi on September 19.
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A report in news agency PTI said that Bumrah is likely to be selected in India’s squad for the Asia Cup, but he could miss the first Test against West Indies in early October. The BCCI is expected to announce India’s squad for the continental tournament in the coming days.
