Former Indian bowling coach Bharat Arun has backed gun fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah to play all five Test matches on the England tour. The team management would look to manage Bumrah’s workload after he suffered a back injury in the fifth Test match against Australia at Sydney.
Earlier, chief selector Ajit Agarkar had informed that Bumrah won’t play all the five Test matches on the England tour and thus he wasn’t considered for the captaincy role.
Bumrah was ruled out of the Champions Trophy due to injury and missed the first four matches of IPL 2025. There is no doubt that Bumrah is going to hold the key on the England tour and it would be imperative for the team’s think tank to manage him with guile.
The ace pacer was brilliant on the tour of Australia, where he picked 32 wickets in five Test matches at a stunning average of 13.06. Bumrah had scalped 18 wickets in four Test matches on England tour in 2021 at an average of 20.83.
Bharat Arun said via ANI, “Ideally, I would expect him to play all the Test matches. If there is very good support from the other bowlers, Bumrah can be preserved and play in all the five Test matches. If he is going to be bowling, taking a lot of the workload, then I am afraid he will not be ready for all the five Tests. So, how the other bowlers support him becomes very vital.”
“So, we have got to take it as you go, rather than saying he is good for first three Test matches, then you need to give him a break. The other bowlers can help Bumrah play in all the Test matches if they are bowling really well,” he added.
Arun added the practice sessions can be toned down for Bumrah to manage his workload in a better way.
“They [possibly hinting at the conditions] are a perfect recipe for some bowler to get injured. So, obviously, we cannot control the number of overs that Jasprit Bumrah bowls in a match. But according to the number of overs he bowls in the match, the practice sessions can be toned down for him where he needs to be working on his recovery. It can be a strength training session in the gym or some recovery work with the physios.”
“So, handling him will be very crucial. And as you rightly mentioned, Bumrah’s presence in the team adds a huge value. Not only does he does well, he also rallies the other bowlers,” he added.
The opening Test match between India and England will be played at Leeds, Headingley, from June 20 onwards.
