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For the Indian team management, it has been a challenge to manage Jasprit Bumrah’s workload in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Before the five-match series got underway, it was decided that the pace spearhead wouldn’t feature in more than three matches. He completed his quota, featuring in the first Test in Leeds, followed by the third and fourth at Lord’s and Manchester respectively.
However, with the series on the line and a green-top on offer, there were speculations that Bumrah could make himself available for the final Test at The Oval. But the team management left him out, with Prasidh Krishna replacing him, and the assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate defended the move, saying that ‘it’s quite a complex issue’ around Bumrah.
“We obviously want to wheel him out, but we also want to respect where his body is at, and on the basis of that, we just felt that it wasn’t worth including him in the squad,” Doeschate said on Thursday.
In his first two Tests, Bumrah bowled across both innings, even though in Manchester, it was just about one innings. In the five innings, he has bowled 119.3 overs – the most for India in the three Tests he has played, with Mohammed Siraj next to him with a tally of 107.3 overs. Bumrah is also the top wicket-taker for the visitor with 14 scalps to his name.
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However, Doeschate admitted that, having bowled lots of overs, it was important to allow that breather to Bumrah for him to recover.
“He has bowled a large number of overs, I know it doesn’t always seem like that because he’s only played three tests and he’s only bowled in one innings in Manchester, but if you look at the loads, he’s bowled a lot of overs, and like he did say coming into the tour, he was going to be available for three games, and we just felt it was right on that call,” Doeschate said.
The assistant coach also said it wasn’t fair to comment that Bumrah was picking and choosing games, considering his injury-prone past and back surgeries.
“I don’t think picking and choosing is a fair comment to Bumrah, he did say he was going to play three games, he left it up to us which three he played, we’ve tried to manage the situation, it’s not ideal, I guess giving those guys attention, the guys who aren’t playing particularly when you’re carrying 18 is important,” he said.
“… Make them know that you’re making all the decisions in good faith, in the best interest of the team, and just on that, all the guys who haven’t played, they’ve been fantastic, they’ve trained the house down, they’re disappointed when they get left out…” Doeschate added.
