A break for Jasprit Bumrah: Team India mulling when to give their biggest match winner some rest | Cricket News

With a decent break before the third Test and the five-match series locked 1-1, the biggest concern for India is how their biggest match-winner Jasprit Bumrah shapes up in the next week.India are yet to name the squad for the remaining three Tests. Though Bumrah is certain to make it, the lingering question is when to give him a rest. Last week, despite Mohammed Siraj bowling full throttle at the nets two days before the Test, India’s think-tank decided to send him home from Vizag.
He could have avoided taking the flight to Vizag in the first place, which would have given him a few extra days to spend at home. But it was a decision they took at the eleventh hour, keeping the larger picture of workload in mind and it wasn’t just that of Siraj, but also Bumrah. With both needed for the final Test in Dharamsala, India have to use them judiciously at Rajkot or Ranchi, where they will pair up again.
In the two Tests so far, apart from Ravichandran Ashwin on the fourth morning in Vizag, no Indian bowler has embraced the threat of Bazball as much as Bumrah. In both matches, it is Bumrah who has broken England’s back. And after failing to find support from the other end in Hyderabad, he single-handedly demolished them in the first innings at Vizag before Ashwin played his part in the second innings.
For England, who seem to have an answer for everything that India throw up, they are yet to find a way to tackle Bumrah’s magic deliveries and combating his reverse-swing would be their sole focus as they head to Abu Dhabi to reunite with their families and enjoy a break.
“Bumrah bowled a fantastic spell of reverse-swing,” head coach Brendon McCullum told BBC Sport. “Our guys have so much talent and quality, it’s just a matter of ensuring they feel confident to make decisions and go all in on their strategies. We need to come up with some ways to counter that.”
At the moment, it seems as if Bumrah is the lone trump-card India have in their hands to counter Bazball. And it is also the reason why the hosts are taking utmost care of their lead pacer. So much so that trainer S Rajnikanth, who handled his rehabilitation, continues to look after him here. The question India are facing now is whether to rest Bumrah at Rajkot or at Ranchi.
Decision time
With a nine-day gap before the third Test at Rajkot, with the series level at 1-1 and momentum their side, playing Bumrah is tempting for the team management. Having drawn level, India understand the need to go hard at England at Rajkot and for that they need Bumrah, who delivered every time Rohit Sharma handed him the ball. Although he didn’t show any signs of fatigue or struggle, the 33.1 overs he sent down at Vizag is the most he has delivered in a Test since his comeback.
In the six home Tests he has featured so far, only in the first Test against England during the 2021 series has Bumrah bowled more overs than Vizag. After sending down 42 overs in Chennai, he was rested for the next Test.
Given Bumrah’s importance, there is every reason for India to be concerned about his workload, particularly given the gruelling schedule ahead of them. Apart from the IPL, there is a T20 World Cup that follows soon after and then there are eight more Tests lined up this year, including four in Australia, where he would be needed much more. While Bumrah has featured in four consecutive Test matches in a series once each in Australia and England, it was before he went down with a career-threatening back injury.
While India have been handing him short bursts, at Vizag with Mukesh Kumar unable to create any sort of impact with either new or old ball, Rohit had to rush to Bumrah at least on a couple of occasions immediately after a spell. On day two, after a four-over spell, they had to turn to him after just three overs. It meant, at times, even Bumrah wasn’t at his absolute best.
So far, Bumrah had been able to hunt in packs, but with Mohammed Shami not around and Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma out of favour, he is now carrying the pace department on his shoulders. At all times in this series, with England being at their aggressive best, Bumrah has picked up 15 wickets at an average of 10.66, which is largely down to how attacking he has been. That England are showing him due respect, even prepared to see out his spell – that they have not been able to always do it is a different story – is a testament to how they see Bumrah to be their only threat.