India’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar is very happy to have the experienced pacer in the squad.
India wants to be extremely cautious with injury-prone Jasprit Bumrah. The medical team has advised not to put too much strain on the seasoned bowler’s body. That’s why the subcontinental team is considering not playing him in all Tests on the England tour.
Bumrah returned from the Australia tour last January with a back injury, which kept him out of action for a long time. He missed the Champions Trophy as well. Yet India managed to win their third title in that tournament without him.
He couldn’t play in the early stages of this IPL either, but once he returned, it didn’t take long for him to find his rhythm. So far, in 9 matches, the Mumbai Indians’ star pacer has taken 16 wickets at an economy rate of 6.39 runs per over.
However, IPL and Test cricket are very different formats. So India plans to rest him at times during the England tour. After announcing the Test squad on Saturday, chief selector Ajit Agarkar spoke about the likelihood of not having Bumrah for all matches.
“I don’t think we will get him (Bumrah) in all five Tests; that’s what the physios and doctors have told us. It might be four or even three, depending on how the series goes and how his body handles the workload,” he said.
“There’s no need to say how important he is to us. Even if he is fit for three or four Tests, he will win us one or two of those matches. So we are happy he is fit, and the injury he got in Australia wasn’t too bad. He’s back playing now — I know he’s playing T20s at the moment, but we’ve seen what he’s done in the IPL. We’re just glad to have him in the squad.”
During the Australia tour, Bumrah was Rohit Sharma’s deputy. In Rohit’s absence, Bumrah captained the side in two matches — the first Test at Edgbaston, which India won, where he also contributed significantly with the ball, and the final Test in Sydney, where he had to leave midway due to a back injury.
Earlier this month, Rohit Sharma retired from Test cricket, leaving the captaincy position vacant. Agarkar said Bumrah would have been Rohit’s natural successor had he not been injury-prone and missed matches.
Considering all factors, India has unanimously appointed Shubman Gill as the new Test captain. Agarkar revealed that Bumrah was consulted during the decision-making.
“Bumrah was in the running because he led in Australia and was vice-captain, but when you can’t have him for all Tests, you can’t consider him for captaincy. As a player, he’s far more important to us. We want him fit. Managing 15-16 players is always challenging, and it takes a lot out of you. We’d rather not put extra pressure on him and hope for his best bowling,” said Agarkar.
“He knows this. We’ve talked with him, and he has no issues. He understands his body condition and wants to take care of himself and stay fit for bowling.”
Bumrah is heading into his third Test series in England. In 8 matches on English soil (excluding the 2021 Test Championship final), he has taken 37 wickets at an average of 23.78 and a strike rate of 51.90.
