India’s management has opted to rest pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for the decisive final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval, despite speculation that he might return to the side with the series on the line. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate defended the call on Thursday, stressing that the decision was based on workload management rather than tactics.

Bumrah had been slated to feature in no more than three matches in the five-Test series, a decision taken even before the tour began. He fulfilled that quota by playing the opening Test at Leeds, followed by appearances in the third at Lord’s and the fourth in Manchester. Across these three games, Bumrah bowled 119.3 overs—more than any other Indian bowler—including long spells that placed significant demands on his body.

“He has bowled a large number of overs, I know it doesn’t always seem like that because he’s only played three Tests and he’s only bowled in one innings in Manchester, but if you look at the loads, he’s bowled a lot,” Doeschate explained. “Like he did say coming into the tour, he was going to be available for three games, and we just felt it was right on that call.”

Bumrah, who has had a history of back injuries and surgeries, has nevertheless been India’s most effective bowler in the series. With 14 wickets, he remains the visitors’ top wicket-taker, ahead of Mohammed Siraj, who has delivered 107.3 overs. His absence from The Oval clash, therefore, comes as a significant blow to India’s attack, particularly with a green-top pitch expected to aid fast bowling.

Doeschate admitted that the temptation to “wheel him out” was strong but insisted the decision was made with the bigger picture in mind. “We obviously want to wheel him out, but we also want to respect where his body is at, and on the basis of that, we just felt that it wasn’t worth including him in the squad,” he said.

Addressing criticism that Bumrah might be selectively choosing matches, the assistant coach was firm in his defense. “I don’t think picking and choosing is a fair comment to Bumrah. He left it up to us which three he played. We’ve tried to manage the situation. It’s not ideal, but it’s about making decisions in good faith, in the best interest of the team,” he noted.

With Bumrah unavailable, Prasidh Krishna has been drafted in to strengthen India’s pace battery. Whether the move pays off in the high-stakes decider remains to be seen, but the management has made it clear: preserving Bumrah’s long-term fitness takes priority over short-term gains.