Ahead of the ongoing five-match Test series against England, the Indian team management had made it clear that star pacer Jasprit Bumrah would feature in only three matches. So far, the 31-year-old has played in the first and third Tests, at Headingley and Lord’s, while sitting out the second in Edgbaston. With India currently trailing 2-1 under Shubman Gill's captaincy, questions have resurfaced over Bumrah’s availability for the crucial final two matches.
Speculation has grown over whether Bumrah will play in both remaining Tests or just one, given the high stakes. Addressing the uncertainty, India coach Ryan ten Doeschate confirmed that Bumrah will only play in one of the two remaining fixtures. He added that while the team is leaning towards including him in the fourth Test in Manchester, the final decision will be taken considering several factors.
“We'll make that call in Manchester. We know we've got him for one of the last two tests. I think it's pretty obvious the series is on the line now in Manchester, so there will be a leaning towards playing him,” said Doeschate while talking to the press.
“But again, we've got to look at all the factors. How many days of cricket are we going to get up there? What do we feel is our best chance of winning that game? And then how that fits in together with the Oval and looking at the last two games holistically as part of the series,” he added.
It's important to manage Mohammed Siraj’s workload: Doeschate
Doeschate also highlighted the importance of managing Mohammed Siraj’s workload, who has been a force to reckon with. He talked about Siraj’s impact and lauded him for playing the game with his heart and giving his all for the team.
“We take for granted how lucky we are to have someone like that. I know he doesn't always have the returns that you expect from a fast bowler, but in terms of heart, he's like a lion and what he brings to this bowling attack, whenever he does have the ball in hand, you always feel like something's going to happen. He's not someone who's going to shy away from workload, so it makes it even more important for us to manage his workload and make sure that he's at least fit to give his best,” Doeschate said.
