Ahead of the highly anticipated five-match Test series against England, Team India’s newly appointed Test captain, Shubman Gill, sat down for an exclusive conversation with Dinesh Karthik on Sky Sports. Among several key topics discussed, Jasprit Bumrah’s workload management during the long and demanding tour became a key point of focus.
When asked by Karthik about how he plans to use Bumrah selectively during the series, Gill explained that it would depend on several real-time factors, including match conditions and player workload.
“Depending on how we go about matches, you know, there might be a case where there might be rain in one of the matches. So I think it’s more based on match to match and see how much workload there has been on him. And that’s what we are trying to look at,” Gill said.
He added that the team is not planning to take a rigid or pre-decided approach regarding Bumrah’s participation. “You know, see how much workload has he had in this match. And then moving on from there, we don’t want to have a predetermined set — okay, these are the matches that he would want to play — because there are so many factors that can not go or go in your favour that can determine whether he is going to play the next match or not,” he further explained.
“Don’t think he’ll be available for all five Tests” – Ajit Agarkar
Earlier, during the squad announcement for the England tour, chief selector Ajit Agarkar had also provided clarity on Bumrah’s situation, saying that the pace spearhead may not be available for the entire series. However, even limited appearances from Bumrah would be a major boost to the squad.
“He’s a quality bowler and has had a taste of county as well. He plays domestic when he can. A tall guy, can bowl with the new ball, has body of work in red-ball cricket and in recent form in the last couple of years. Bumrah is unlikely to play all five Tests — we needed a bit of variety,” Agarkar said.
He emphasised that the team will assess the situation as the series progresses. “Don’t think he’ll be available for all five Tests. Whether it’s four or three, we’ll see based on how the series goes and his workload is. Even if he’s fit for 3–4 Tests, he’ll be an asset for us. Just happy he’s part of the squad,” Agarkar concluded.
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