The story of standout pacer Jasprit Bumrah and his workload management crisis has been selling like hotcakes for a while now. Bumrah played only three games in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 (the first, third, and fourth Tests at Headingley, Lord’s, and Manchester, respectively) and was left out of the squad for the ongoing fifth Test, finishing with 14 scalps, including two five-wicket hauls.
Jasprit Bumrah’s body dynamics and uncanny bowling movement propel him forward.
Legendary pacer Glenn McGrath believes that Bumrah’s hyperextension during the delivery process is the reason he needs to improve his physical fitness in order to bowl for extended periods of time. McGrath has also suggested Bumrah take a whole season off to help manage his workload.
“His whole action is different to a lot of fast bowlers. He’s got a slow run-up and the last few steps just really accelerate him through the crease. He’s got hyperextension, and he’s just got a great wrist. And the way he releases it is a fair bit closer to the batter because of his technique than all other bowlers. So, there’s a lot that’s unique about him, but when he gets it right, it just all comes together well. He’s found what’s worked for him,” McGrath said at the MRF Pace Foundation.
“Unfortunately, what he does is pretty tough on the body. Especially when you’re playing a lot of cricket, there’s no time to have an off-season. He really needs to get a lot stronger physically and fitter to put up with the stresses of fast bowling. And he needs an off-season. It will get him strong through the season,” he added.
Jasprit Bumrah playing only Tests would be a shame
The veteran fast bowler has also expressed that while Bumrah is the greatest addition to the Indian pace battery at the moment, it is also equally important for the other bowlers like Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep to step up on more occasions than not, which will help Bumrah play all the formats and not just stick to Tests.
“You want your best bowler bowling. And he’ll want to bowl all the time. If he’s just bowling in short spells, then the batting team know they just can get through the three or four overs and then they’re away. So it depends a lot on the other bowlers. You need another group of fast bowlers coming through to balance it out so that he doesn’t have to bowl long spells. You’ve got other bowlers bowling equally, as well, to carry the workload. You look at Bumrah, he’s so effective in ODI and T20 cricket. To limit himself to Test cricket would be a shame. But, he’s got to work out what’s best for him,” McGrath concluded.
The Ahmedabad-born pacer is slated to play in the upcoming Test series against West Indies at home. It is going to be a two-match assignment, and Bumrah would want to keep himself fresh and ready for the significant series, which will also mark the commencement of India’s new domestic calendar.
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