Former India bowling coach Bharat Arun has expressed confidence that Jasprit Bumrah will be available for all five Tests in the upcoming series against England, starting June 20. However, he emphasized that this would be possible only if Bumrah receives consistent support from his fellow pacers throughout the series.
His comments came in response to India head coach Gautam Gambhir’s recent statement, where he suggested that Bumrah might feature in only three of the five matches. Notably, Bumrah suffered a back spasm during the final Test of the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which prevented him from bowling in Australia’s second innings.
Despite the setback, he finished the series as the top wicket-taker, claiming 32 wickets. Speaking to ANI, Bharat Arun shared his perspective on the situation.
“Ideally, I would expect him to play all the Test matches. If there is very good support from the other bowlers, Bumrah can be preserved and play in all the five Test matches. If he is going to be bowling, taking a lot of the workload, then I am afraid he will not be ready for all the five Tests. So, how the other bowlers support him becomes very vital.”
“So, we have got to take it as you go, rather than saying he is good for first three Test matches, then you need to give him a break. The other bowlers can help Bumrah play in all the Test matches if they are bowling really well,” he added.
“Reduce Training to Keep Bumrah Fit for All England Tests”: Arun
Bharat Arun suggested that Jasprit Bumrah‘s practice sessions should be scaled back to help him recover from the physical demands of his workload. The 62-year-old shared this view during the same conversation.
“They [possibly hinting at the conditions] are a perfect recipe for some bowler to get injured. So, obviously, we cannot control the number of overs that Jasprit Bumrah bowls in a match. But according to the number of overs he bowls in the match, the practice sessions can be toned down for him where he needs to be working on his recovery. It can be a strength training session in the gym or some recovery work with the physios.”
“So, handling him will be very crucial. And as you rightly mentioned, Bumrah’s presence in the team adds a huge value. Not only does he does well, he also rallies the other bowlers,” he added.
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