Bumrah’s Workload a Concern for ENG Tour; Rohit Sharma Warned About Break, Says Gambhir

Bumrah’s Workload a Concern for ENG Tour: Ravi Shastri, former head coach of Team India, gave a 'break' warning to the team management in regard to Jasprit Bumrah during this `coming England Test series`. He advised coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma to be careful about Bumrah's workload in England later this year for the five-Test series. For the uninitiated, Bumrah played all five Tests during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but was forced to leave the field in the final Test in Sydney due to back spasms.

This injury caused a three-month layoff in his career and ruled him out of the ICC Men's Champions Trophy campaign as well. According to Shastri, the management should plan Bumrah's workload two Tests at a time, as ideally, he would want World No.1 Test pacer to play four Tests against England.

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With the return of Bumrah that led to the series which concluded in his favor 3-1, he had done 32 wickets in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Still, Bumrah couldn't do all the heavy lifting to carry India over the finish line since Australia took away the five-match series 3-1.

“I would be very, very careful with Bumrah. I would give him two Test matches at a time and then wait for the break. Ideally, make him play four. You'll be tempted to make him play five if he starts off in a great manner, but it's how his body pulls up," Shastri said on ICC Review.

“He should be given the first opportunity to say, ‘Yes, a little, I am feeling the niggle. A break would help.’ Give him that break," he added.

Bumrah has made a return to competitive cricket for the 2024 IPL, making his comeback against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Wankhede Stadium.

Indian pace trio will give England problems

The former India head coach also believed that a fit pace battery of Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj would trouble England throughout the series.

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"I think with Siraj, Jasprit and Mohammed Shami, these three, if they are fully fit, they will give England heaps of problems," Shastri said.

"It's a quality, top-class pace attack when you get these three fit. And what I like about Siraj, I'm glad he was hurt after being put out, not in the side for the Champions Trophy. That's what you want," he added.

Shastri complimented Mohammed Siraj for putting in the hard work after being omitted from the Champions Trophy squad, thus ensuring a strong comeback for the Gujarat Titans during IPL.

"For him to go back to the drawing board and come back the way he has, there's a spring in his stride, the pace is up there, and he means business game after game. And that is perfect from India's point of view with England coming up," said Shastri.

The five-match Test series between India and England will commence on June 20 at Leeds, and the final Test will commence at the Oval on July 31.

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