- June 27, 2025
Let’s face the facts — Jasprit Bumrah is not just the best Test pacer India has, he is the attack. So, when India said he would play only three of the five Tests in the 2025 England series, it probably raised more than a few eyebrows. Sure, workload management is important. But then again, sometimes there’s a fine line between caution and damage control — technically, the series is already in a spot of bother. Here’s why holding Bumrah back may potentially be a more serious error than it appears.
The Breaks Are Built In – Why Not Use Them Smartly?
One of the biggest reasons to be resting Bumrah is burnout, and I understand that argument; we’ve all seen what he’s dealt with on the injury front. However, this series against England, unlike many of India’s recent Test tours, is spread out. There are decent gaps between games, especially after the first and third Tests, that provide great opportunities for recovery.
In comparison, consider the Dewald Brevis 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, where Bumrah bowled anywhere between 150 and seven overs, over 5 Tests with virtually no breaks. Not to say that will be the case here. The colder temperatures in England and a slightly better schedule do help him.
So instead of opting not to play him in Test matches, why can’t we manage him? Shorter spells, rotation of bowlers, as well as good tactical use in a game, will allow this to happen. It’s not the fact that he has played some Test matches, it is what he does in those Tests when he is bowling!
The Backup Bowlers Must Do Better
Let’s be honest – Bumrah wouldn’t have to manage his workload so carefully if the rest of the bowling unit could step up. In the Headingley opening match, Bumrah’s gap to the rest of the unit was quite clear. With Siraj and Prasidh not supporting him enough, Bumrah was brought back into the attack almost all the time.
But this is not a dead-end. India has other bowlers in waiting – Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Akash Deep – who could come in and relieve some pressure. It may be something as simple as playing four frontline bowlers instead of an all-rounder at No. 8.
If the other bowlers can do their part and bowl 10-15 decent overs a day, Bumrah’s workload can be handled, and the team is a lot more balanced. India does not have to rest Bumrah – they have to manage their bench better.
This Series Matters More Than Any Other in 2025
This is no ordinary Test series. This is the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, the most challenging red-ball series for India in 2025. With WTC points on the line and India at a deficit in the Series, each match is a must-win.
What’s next? A white-ball tour of Bangladesh. A home Test series vs West Indies. A few ODIs and T20Is in Australia. Nothing that requires Bumrah to be at 100% right away. In fact, after the England series, he will have nearly 2 months off before starting another major white-ball assignment.
Fitness is a different conversation regarding Bumrah. However, there are situations where over-management may lead to missed opportunities. This series will require India’s best, and Jasprit Bumrah is the key to that.
Rather than have specific limits, India should be looking at intelligent utilization – again, manage overs, then surround him with better bowlers to follow him, and have confidence that the schedule will give him time to recover.
What do you think? Let Bumrah go for the series, or have India commit to the three-match plan and maintain continuity with the rest of the group? Let’s talk cricket!
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