With the Indian team all set to lock horns with England across five Tests from June 20, the side has been hard at work preparing for the series as they kick off the new World Test Championship cycle. With the series looming on the horizon, there would be many eyes set upon ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah.
Bumrah would undoubtedly be the Indian team’s star man in the upcoming series and could well prove to be the X-factor in the side. Ahead of the series, former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin took centre stage and talked about how India could manage Bumrah’s workload in the tour.
"We haven't really made use of sports science and technology when it comes to Bumrah. At the moment, it is all very subjective. In Australia also, it wasn't until Melbourne that Jassi said he was tired and his body wasn't giving more. Thereafter, he broke down in Sydney. There are some real lessons here. And that's what will define how you use him in England,” Ashwin was quoted as saying by Sportskeeda.
"See, it is subjective to say he will play three Tests or four Tests. Why not two, and why not four? Now, we can measure everything, and then when you add to it how the player is feeling, you can come to a near-perfect assessment of where you stand with Jassi," he added.
Ashwin talks of Bumrah’s availability against Australia in early 2025
It is worth noting that Jasprit Bumrah was not available to play for India in the second innings of the opening Test of the year, when the side took on Australia in Sydney. Speaking of the same, Ashwin opined that India could have won the clash had Bumrah been available.
"The truth is you should not base things on subjective assessment. Suppose he doesn’t feel anything at the end of two Tests, would you still rest him? If he does feel something at the end of the Leeds Test, would you still want to play him at Edgbaston?” Ashwin said.