Jasprit Bumrah Advised to Focus on Recovery as SCG Performance Raises Concerns about Workload

Rarely has the fate of an entire Indian team hinged on the performance of a single fast bowler in a Test series. Although the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar series did not end in India's favor, exposing some weaknesses and internal rifts within the team, it will be forever etched in cricket history for the extraordinary efforts of Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah stood out as the lone hero for India, shouldering the burden and showcasing his exceptional skill and determination.

Bumrah picked 32 wickets in five matches, comprising three five-wicket hauls, to claim the Player of the Series award. It was the most picked by an Indian bowler in a series in Australia, and the best show by an Indian seamer in a Test series.

However, the campaign ended on a heartbreaking note as Bumrah missed the final innings of the Sydney Test owing to a back injury. The concerns, on which BCCI has yet to make an official statement, did spark workload concerns as the 31-year-old bowled 151.2 overs in the series, which included 53.2 overs in the MCG game, the most he has bowled in a single match. It also led to discussions on whether India could have managed Bumrah better through the course of the series.

''Forget playing for India. Go back and play T20s'

However, the workload theory was mercilessly ripped apart by former India pacer and 1983 World Cup-winner Balwinder Sandhu, who reckoned bowling an average of 15 to 20 overs an innings is never a big deal.

"Workload? How many overs did he bowl? 150-something, right? But in how many matches or innings? Five matches or nine innings, correct? That comes down to 16 overs per innings or 30 overs per match. And he didn’t bowl those 15-plus overs in one go. He bowled in spells. So, is it a big deal? Workload management is bull****. These are Australian terms, created by Australians. Workload management is nothing. I don’t agree with this. I come from an era when cricketers used to listen to their bodies and no one else. I don’t agree with this at all," Sandhu told the Times of India.

The veteran cricketer fumed at Bumrah saying that if his body does not alloow him to bowl at least 20 overs an innings, he should stop playing Test cricket and rather focus on T20s.

"Bowling 15 overs in a day, and that too in different spells, is not a big deal for a bowler. You’re not bowling on all five days of a Test match. He took three or four spells to bowl those overs. Today, you have the best physios, the best masseurs, and excellent doctors to take care of your body. If a bowler can’t bowl 20 overs in an innings, he should forget about playing for India.

If you want to represent India, you should have the strength to bowl at least 20 overs in an innings. If you can’t, then it’s better to go back and play T20s, where you only need to bowl four overs. Even those four overs are bowled in three spells," he added.

"We used to bowl 25–30 overs in a day. Kapil (Dev) has bowled long spells throughout his career. Your body and muscles get conditioned when you bowl, bowl, and bowl. So, I don’t agree with this workload management concept," the former pacer said.

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