Former India batsman Gautam Gambhir has urged the Indian team management to be careful with Jasprit Bumrah’s workload management during the home series against England. Gambhir expects Bumrah to be the leader of India' pace attack for time to come and to ensure that, it is important for the team management to not allow Bumrah to burn out.
Also Read | 'Ashwin was crawling on floor, couldn’t get up,' reveals wife Prithi Narayan
"See again, he hasn’t played a Test match in India till now, Has he? He hasn’t. So, I’m sure the Indian team management has looked after Jasprit Bumrah reasonably well. They have actually used him in places like England, South Africa and Australia, where he has got to be even more threatening," Gambhir said on the Cricket Connected Show on Star Sports.
Also Read | Kerala’s Mohammed Azharuddeen lights up Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with 37-ball ton
"I’m not saying he is not going to be threatening in India. He is going to be even more threatening in India, where wickets can get low and slow and he can reverse the ball really well. But then again, you got to look after him as well, because he is going to be the leader of the attack for a very long time, so him being fit is very important, so when India plays England for the 4th Test match. I know, yes, Mohd Shami is unfit, Ishant Sharma is unfit, Umesh Yadav is unfit but you can’t afford to play Jasprit Bumrah all the 4 Test matches, it will be very unfair on him."
{{/usCountry}}"I’m not saying he is not going to be threatening in India. He is going to be even more threatening in India, where wickets can get low and slow and he can reverse the ball really well. But then again, you got to look after him as well, because he is going to be the leader of the attack for a very long time, so him being fit is very important, so when India plays England for the 4th Test match. I know, yes, Mohd Shami is unfit, Ishant Sharma is unfit, Umesh Yadav is unfit but you can’t afford to play Jasprit Bumrah all the 4 Test matches, it will be very unfair on him."
{{/usCountry}}Also Read | Muralitharan picks between Ashwin and Lyon to get to 800 Test wickets
Ever since his debut for India in 2018, Bumrah is yet to feature in a Test on home soil. With England touring India for four Tests, five T20Is and three ODIs, India will be embarking on back-to-back long series. With plenty of injury concerns emerging in Australia, it is imperative for India to manage their cricketers better. Bumrah is the recent to hit the injury list and due to an abdominal strain, the fast bowler may not make it to India’s XI for the Brisbane Test and given his sheer quality, Gambhir feels India will be better off being selective in Bumrah’s selection.
"His quality. It’s just his quality and the lengths he bowls, and the amount of pressure he puts the batsman under," Gambhir pointed out. "Whether he is bowling with an old ball or a new ball. From the time he started, the ball which goes away from the right hand and he is able to bring the ball back in, has made it even more dangerous."