3 reasons why India's decision to play Jasprit Bumrah in only 3 ENG vs IND 2025 Tests is the right move

Ace Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah could not bowl India to a memorable win in the first Test against England in Leeds despite his five-wicket haul in the first innings. After almost 25 overs in the first innings, the 31-year-old battled with fatigue in a wicketless second innings as England hunted down 371 on the final day for the loss of only five wickets.

In the build-up to the five-Test series, Bumrah confirmed he would play only three out of the five Tests as part of his workload management plan. However, with Team India trailing 0-1 and the second Test being a virtual win, his participation in the upcoming Edgbaston outing has become the most discussed topic among fans and former players.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir remained unwavering about the three-Test strategy for the veteran pacer even after the first Test defeat.

He said in the post-match press conference (via the ICC):

"I think for us to manage Bumrah's workload is more important because there's a lot of cricket going forward and we know that what he brings to the table as well. So before he came on this tour, it was already decided that he's going to play three Test matches, but let's see how his body turns up. But we haven't decided which two other Test matches he's going to play."

Despite the temptation to play the champion pacer in four of the five Tests or even all five, the Indian management must resist such a thought.

Here are three key reasons why Jasprit Bumrah playing only three of the five India-England Tests is the right move.

#1 Bumrah's most recent injury and overall history

The famous sporting line, 'Your best ability is availability' is realistically the only issue that has hampered Team India when it comes to Jasprit Bumrah. While the 31-year-old is inarguably their most valuable player across formats, his availability has been a question mark throughout his illustrious career.

The veteran has a lengthy injury history, dating back to a freakish thumb fracture in 2018 and including his latest back injury in Australia earlier this year. Between the two, he suffered his customary back fracture in 2019 that relegated him to the sidelines for three months.

An abdominal strain during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy forced him to miss the series decider. Another back injury forced Bumrah to miss an extended period from the back half of 2022 to September 2023.

His most recent injury in Australia was another back injury that kept him out of the second half of the final Test in Sydney and the following white-ball games, including the Champions Trophy.

Notably, Bumrah played the first four Tests in Australia at the end of last year, resulting in his latest back injury during the series finale in Sydney. Just that should scream 'constant break between Tests' to the Indian think tank for avoiding another injury layoff.

#2 The scheduling and pitches for the series

It is no secret that England have adopted an aggressive approach to their batting over the last three years, with the formula proving successful at home. The key reason for its success has been playing on excellent batting tracks at home with the knowledge that their pace of scoring would predominantly eliminate draws even in high-scoring Tests.

The Leeds Test was a prime example, with England winning despite two 400+ and 350+ totals. Higher scoring means more overs for the bowlers, and this works against someone like Jasprit Bumrah.

Having won the first Test, England are certain to opt for high-scoring pitches in the remaining games, meaning more overs for all bowlers. It makes playing him without rest a high-risk option, assuming his workload remains similar to the first Test each time he plays.

The scheduling in the series is another factor that works against the ace pacer playing more than three Tests. Should India play their talismanic pacer in the second Test as a desperation move and rest him for the third Test, he would play back-to-back matches with a three-day gap in the fourth and fifth Tests.

If they play him in the second and third Tests, it would mean a hat-trick of matches without a break, with a possible repeat of Australia as far as an injury is concerned. Hence, even the two best cases of Bumrah playing four out of the five Tests have an injury risk attached to them.

#3 Bumrah's effectiveness and availability more valuable than ever for India

Jasprit Bumrah's performance drastically improves the more rested he is ahead of a spell or match. Evidence of this was the first Test at Leeds when he produced a magnificent spell with a five-wicket haul in the first innings.

However, after almost 25 overs of bowling, his effectiveness and spring in his step were substantially less in the second innings, resulting in figures of 0/57 in 19 overs. Thus, India will be better served having three Tests of Bumrah at his peak than four or five Tests of a lesser version of him.

Furthermore, an injury from hereon will cost India more than ever before, with the absence of senior pros like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin in the setup. It makes the ace pacer's presence on the field and in the squad crucial for the young Test side to believe in themselves and seek inspiration and direction from the champion pacer.

Looking at the other bowlers in the first Test and potentially in the future, the gulf between India in Bumrah's presence and absence might be bigger than the Pacific Ocean.

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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran