India Test captain Shubman Gill remained coy on what sort of role pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will play in the upcoming two-match Test series against the West Indies, amidst the usual buzz around the pacer’s workload. While Bumrah is part of the squad, his inclusion so soon after India’s Asia Cup triumph has raised questions over whether the management will risk a direct switch from T20I to Test cricket.
At the pre-match press conference, Gill was inevitably asked about Bumrah’s usage in the series. With the stakes high, this being India’s first home Test assignment of the new World Test Championship cycle and also their first since the 3-0 whitewash to New Zealand last year, Bumrah’s pace is considered crucial, even against a struggling West Indies side. However, Gill stressed that the plans for Bumrah would be decided on a game-to-game basis.
“We will take a call on match to match (basis), how long a game goes and how many overs a bowler bowls. Nothing is pre-decided,” Bumrah said.
Bumrah featured in all but two of India’s seven Asia Cup matches, sitting out against Oman and Sri Lanka. He bowled the majority of his overs, often three in the powerplay, and finished with seven wickets in five games. During the tournament, India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate also explained how the Asia Cup acted as useful preparation for Bumrah ahead of the Tests.
“Also bearing in mind we have a Test match starting on Thursday. So, it’s actually quite good preparation in terms of workload management. He’s probably going to bowl a few overs in all the games and bowl in the region of 25-26 overs with the training and the preparation going into the game, which is a fairly good number the week before a Test,” Ryan ten Doeschate said.
“So, if we have the luxury to have that option in the last game, we can look at it. But I’d say we’re going to pick our best team for every game. He obviously fits into that picture…But we feel it’s the right amount of work going into the Test match and obviously the importance of this competition as well,” he added.
Bumrah featured in only three out of five Tests against England earlier this year, with India having stated their rotation plans well in advance to manage his workload. That approach, however, had attracted criticism, with questions over how the management was handling their premier fast bowler. This time, though, the stance appears to have shifted, despite Bumrah being rested for their warm-up ahead of the first Test on October 2.
The West Indies, meanwhile, enter the series on the back of a 3-0 Test whitewash to Australia, a result that drew heavy criticism from their own legends about the side’s red-ball capabilities. India, buoyed by their 2-2 draw against England, will be keen to secure a clean sweep at home, with WTC points being the top priority. That makes Bumrah’s availability and performance even more vital.
Alongside Bumrah, India’s pace attack features Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj, both of whom impressed against England even in games where Bumrah did not play. Another pace option, Nitish Kumar Reddy, also adds dep
