Shamik Chakrabarty in Ahmedabad
For Jasprit Bumrah, the mini-break, after a rigorous Asia Cup in the Dubai heat, was well earned. As India started their preparations for the home Test series against the West Indies here in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, the fast bowler, along with Axar Patel, decided to opt out of the optional practice session. On Wednesday, he was there, going full tilt on one of the side pitches at Narendra Modi Stadium. Bumrah went to England with a pre-condition that he wouldn’t be playing more than three Tests in a five-match series. Against the West Indies, will he feature in both games?
The home Test season is about to get underway, and there appears to be a change in the team management’s thought process. Bumrah’s workload would be assessed on a match-to-match basis. Shubman Gill said as much at the pre-match press conference.
“Nothing is pre-decided,” asserted the skipper. “We are going to take a call on a match-to-match basis, depending on how long a Test match goes and how many overs our fast bowlers bowl. We will take a call once the Test match is over and (after assessing) how our fast bowlers feel and how their bodies feel after the match.”
It is quite a departure from the England series where head coach Gautam Gambhir had spoken about how results wouldn’t influence Bumrah’s selection. “Haven’t decided which two matches Bumrah will play but he will play a total of three. We need to manage his workload. The scoreline doesn’t change that. He will play three Tests only,” Gambhir had said after the first Test in Leeds.
Bumrah picking and choosing had divided opinions, with some former India players, including World Cup-winner Sandeep Patil, criticising the seamer’s decision to not make himself available for the full series. The counter-argument was that in Bumrah’s case it was not only about the workload management, his injury management had to be taken into consideration as well.
The 31-year-old, who has a history of back injuries, has made himself available for the Asia Cup and the West Indies series since, despite the short turnaround time between the two assignments. The team management will obviously keep an eye on his workload.