According to ESPNCricinfo, Jasprit Bumrah, India’s key bowler, won’t be playing in the fifth Test against England. Before the series started, Ajit Agarkar, the BCCI chief selector, mentioned that Bumrah would only participate in three of the five Tests in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy to manage his workload.
Bumrah has already played in three of the four Tests. Although the fifth match will decide the series, some thought Bumrah should play at The Oval in London. Yet, the report stated that the BCCI medical team advised Bumrah that this choice protects his back and considers his long-term health.
Akash Deep, who missed the fourth Test due to a groin injury, will likely take Jasprit Bumrah’s place, the report added. In the second Test at Edgbaston, Akash Deep took ten wickets in the match.
Earlier, India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak didn’t dismiss the chance of Jasprit Bumrah playing in the fifth Test against England, which will decide the series. He said Bumrah is fit based on his load. Bumrah, who is prone to injury, was initially scheduled to play in three Tests as part of managing his workload. but he might play a fourth since the series is at stake.
After a draw at Manchester, head coach Gautam Gambhir also didn’t rule out Bumrah playing in the crucial game. Kotak confirmed this. At Old Trafford, Gambhir verified that all his fast bowlers were fit, meaning Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep have recovered from their injuries.
When asked about Mohammed Siraj’s workload, as he is the only Indian fast bowler to have played in all the games, Kotak provided a detailed response.
I’m unsure about your understanding of the actual workload. Before the Test series, a bowler usually bowls a certain number of overs per week. If he’s preparing for a T20 and bowls 20 or 25 overs, like six overs a day for five days, that’s enough for T20.
They use GPS to track how many overs the bowler has bowled each week and communicate constantly with the bowling coach. The past 4-5 weeks of preparation need to be evaluated to ensure there are no sudden increases.
What is a spike? If a bowler usually bowls 30 overs a week and suddenly bowls 35 overs in the first innings, that’s a spike in load. The number of overs Siraj bowls each week isn’t just from practice.
The load also comes from the match. It also depends on whether Siraj, the physios, or his body feels tired. If not, his bowling workload is fine. There’s no risk of a spike, Kotak added.