"Nobody in their right mind would suggest that he has been over-bowled" - Sunil Gavaskar's fiery take on reports of resting Jasprit Bumrah in 3rd Test
Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar expressed frustration over the reports of the team management possibly resting ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah as part of workload management for the third Test against England at Rajkot.
The 30-year-old has been in sparkling form with 15 wickets in the two Tests thus far at an incredible average of 10.66. Bumrah's first innings spell of 6/45, followed by another three wickets in the second innings, powered India to a series-leveling 106-run win in the second Test.
In his column for Sportstar, Gavaskar detailed why resting Bumrah to manage his workload should not have even been a consideration.
"So, to use that stupid word workload makes zero sense, especially when you see that in the two Test matches that have been played so far, Bumrah has bowled one delivery less than 58 overs. That translates to an average of around 15 overs per innings so far. Now, nobody in their right mind would suggest that he has been over-bowled," wrote Gavaskar.
Gavaskar was thankful that better sense prevailed and Bumrah would likely be involved in the third Test.
"There were reports in some outlets that Jasprit Bumrah would be rested because of the so-called workload management. Fortunately, that hasn’t happened and Bumrah continues to be the vice-captain of the team. The series is still level, and there’s the psychological advantage that Bumrah holds on the English batters with his destructive bowling," added Gavaskar.
Bumrah bowled almost 34 of his 58 overs in the second Test. The team management considered resting him for the third Test to have him refreshed for the final two games of the series.
It is also worth remembering that the ace pacer was out with a back injury for a year before returning last August.
"Nine-day gap between the second and third Tests is enough" - Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar doubled down on his take and stated that a nine-day break between the second and third Test should be more than adequate rest for Jasprit Bumrah. It is also worth recalling that Mohammed Siraj was given a break in the action and rested for the second Test after playing the series opener against England.
"That nine-day gap between the second and third Tests is enough rest even for a bowler who would have bowled double the number of overs Bumrah has bowled so far. With both Tests ending in four days, the players have had an extra day off as well. So, there really should be no talk of workload," wrote Gavaskar.
Gavaskar concluded by adding:
"Bumrah is playing for his country’s cricket team, and he as well as the others should be prepared to do the extra work that may be asked of them. The privilege of playing for the country, especially the highest form of the game, Test match cricket, should never be taken for granted by anybody, however big he may be."
During the second Test, Bumrah became the fastest Indian pacer to reach the 150-wicket mark in Tests. The Player of the Match performance helped him elevate to the top of the ICC Test bowler rankings.