"Kind of bowling action Jasprit Bumrah…"- Bhuvneshwar Kumar destroys critics of pacer related to his workload management during England tour

Jasprit Bumrah played three out of five tests during the ENG vs IND series.

Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has backed Jasprit Bumrah’s decision to play only three out of five tests during the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025. The senior Indian pacer didn’t play all the games to manage his workload and avoid any injuries.

The right-arm pacer was part of the opening game at Headingley, third test at the Lord’s, and the fourth test in Manchester. With five-wicket hauls at Headingley and Lord’s, Bumrah gave a brilliant performance, picking 14 wickets in the series. However, India lost both games in which he picked fifers.

Notably, Bumrah, ahead of the series, was advised by the BCCI medical team to play only three games. In his absence, Akash Deep was drafted in the XI.

However, former Indian players like Mohammad Azharuddin and Dilip Vengsarkar criticised Bumrah’s decision to skip two games. Vengsarkar questioned why Bumrah did not rest himself in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 instead of the crucial tests against England.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar backs Jasprit Bumrah’s decision to play only three games in England

Amid all the criticism, during a chat on the Cricket Stories Podcast, Bhuvneshwar backed Bumrah’s call on workload management, highlighting that the latter has been playing in all three formats for the last few years.

“Considering how many years Bumrah has been playing and competing in all formats, it is tough for anyone to sustain that. Given the kind of bowling action Bumrah has, injuries can happen to him or anyone. I had no problem with him playing three out of five matches,” he said.

“If the selectors know what he can offer and are comfortable with it, it is because they know he can still make a big impact in those three games. If a player might not play all five matches but can contribute significantly in three, that should be acceptable,” he added.

The 35-year-old also added that people do not understand the challenges and pressure behind playing all three formats consistently.

“People do not always understand how tough it is to keep playing for so many years across formats. There is pressure as well. If you want someone to play for long, you have to manage him well. So, I did not have any problem,” he further added.

Meanwhile, Bumrah finished as the joint second highest wicket-taker for India in Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, claiming 14 wickets in three games at an average of 26.0. In his absence in the second and fifth tests, Mohammed Siraj clinched five-wicket hauls to drive the team to victories.

With 23 scalps, Siraj finished as the highest wicket-taker in the five-match series. Meanwhile, Bumrah is expected to be part of India’s squad for Asia Cup 2025, which will commence on September 9 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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