There has been a good deal of discussion regarding Jasprit Bumrah’s workload management, which has prevented him from playing in the fifth Test match against England at the Oval. The critics have also pointed out that India has won the games that Bumrah has missed throughout the tour. However, Dinesh Karthik, a former player for India, batted for the pacer and claimed that Bumrah has frequently restored India to the game under nearly insurmountable conditions.
“You have to look at it from Jasprit Bumrah’s point of view. I think that these kinds of wins, the way the series has panned out, the way the young team has fought, will help him in his career. I believe Jasprit Bumrah will be very proud of this young bowling attack, and knowing him, he is not someone who shies away from pressure, big matches. Boss, he is on the ground, as a captain, any big moment, you go to Jasprit Bumrah, you want a wicket, go to Jasprit Bumrah, you want a 5-an over in a T20 match, you go to Jasprit Bumrah. If you are bowling with a bad, old ball, which is 25 overs old in an ODI, and want a wicket, go to Jasprit Bumrah. That is the name he has earned, and he rightly deserves to be called that,” Dinesh Karthik.
“Now this stat of when he doesn’t play, India does not win. It’s not his mistake. He is so impactful that others pale in comparison at times, which is understandable. He is a world champion. When he finishes cricket, he will be spoken in the same parlance as Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, and Dale Steyn. And I hope he will have a longer career, knowing that I can pick and choose matches when I feel I am ready, because I won’t be the only one, and at every match, I have to play. And at times, it’s unfair. It’s a body, he knows what he has gone through. 2 back injuries, one nasty ACL he had in 2014. It’s not easy, and sometimes I feel we have to cut him some slack as well,” he added.
According to Indian cricket board sources, the decision was made collectively to let the top pacer play as long as possible, rather than Bumrah “picking and choosing” which games to play. Bumrah returned halfway through the IPL after suffering a back injury while bowling his heart out during the previous tour of Australia.
“This is not a case of workload management. There is injury management also in place. He had already undergone a lengthy rehab process in the lead-up to the 2023 World Cup. Ideally, everyone is working not to see a repeat because spending a long time in rehab in case of another injury won’t be easy on him,” sources had told this paper..
