Overview

• 1983 World Cup winner Balvinder Singh Sandhu defended Jasprit Bumrah’s managed workload, citing seven-year data showing an average of 3.2 rest days per playing day for the pacer versus 3.5 for Mohammed Siraj and 3.7 for Mohammed Shami, and highlighting biomechanical stress from Bumrah’s short run-up.
• Sanjay Manjrekar and Manoj Tiwary argued that players not available for an entire five-Test series should not be selected, with Tiwary saying no one is bigger than the game and questioning India’s choice to pick Bumrah for England.
• India’s management had flagged before the England tour that Bumrah would play only three of five Tests after a back spasm at Sydney ended his Australia series and ruled him out of subsequent white-ball matches.
• Virender Sehwag endorsed workload management for fast bowlers as essential for longevity and tournament readiness, while Farveez Maharoof warned that injuries are inevitable given the demands of fast bowling.
• Bumrah has been included in India’s 15-player Asia Cup squad in the UAE, with a T20I return slated for September 10 against the UAE before group games versus Pakistan on September 14 and Oman on September 19.