Former India cricketer calls for Bumrah’s inclusion in must win Manchester Test

MANCHESTER: Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on Sunday shared his views on Jasprit Bumrah’s limited availability during the Test series against England, raising concerns about workload management.

Speaking at the sidelines of the World Cricket League (WCL) 2025, Harbhajan questioned the overuse of the term workload management in contemporary cricket.

“Workload management is a new concept. Once the IPL began, players got used to bowling just 24 deliveries in a game, and that changed their training methods. If you go back in time, workload simply meant staying fit. 

"Players used to play full five-match series without complaints. But yes, if someone is injured, you have to be cautious,” Harbhajan explained.

He also praised Bumrah’s commitment and honesty, suggesting that if the fast bowler is fit, he should be playing all five Tests.

“Jasprit is the most honest cricketer out there. If he’s not in pain, he won’t stop at four overs; he’ll bowl ten without hesitation. That’s exactly what happened in Australia," he added. 

"He over-bowled himself and picked up an injury. His action doesn’t help either—short run-up, high pace, and an intense release put a lot of strain on the body. But if he’s fit, he must play all five Tests.

"India will win the series if Bumrah plays every match. Just ask any opposition—they’d rather not face him," he concluded.

India's pace spearhead Bumrah is expected to feature in only three of the five Tests in the series, a decision taken by the team management to protect him from injury.

Bumrah already played two Tests against England, Bumrah is now likely to be available for just one of the remaining two matches.

With multiple players sidelined due to injuries, namely Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Rishabh Pant, India may be forced to bring Bumrah back into the XI for the crucial must-win match at Old Trafford.

It is pertinent to mention that England defeated India by a narrow margin of 22 runs in the third Test of the five-match series at Lord’s last week.

Chasing a target of 193, India’s batting lineup collapsed for 170, despite a resilient half-century from Ravindra Jadeja lower down the order.

England captain Ben Stokes was named Player of the Match for his outstanding all-round performance.

With this win, England lead the series 2-1. The fourth Test will be played at Old Trafford in Manchester from July 23 to 27.

India squad for England Tests:

Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akashdeep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj.