Mohammed Siraj, like a lion, important to manage his workload: Ryan ten Doeschate, India’s assistant coach

India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has underlined the importance of managing Mohammed Siraj’s workload, citing the significant volume of cricket the pacer has played over the past couple of years. With the growing demands of international cricket, the issue of workload management has become a major point of discussion.

Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir had earlier announced ahead of the England tour that star pacer Jasprit Bumrah would feature in only three of the five Test matches. As per the plan, Bumrah missed the Edgbaston Test and is also likely to sit out the final game of the series.

Ten Doeschate praised Siraj’s relentless energy and commitment and called him a “lion” for his attitude.

“It is equally important to manage the workload of someone like Mohammed Siraj, who is always ready to bowl those extra overs, like Stokes did on day five at Lord’s,” said ten Doeschate during the media conference.

“We take for granted how lucky we are to have someone like that. I know he doesn’t always have the returns that you expect from a fast bowler, but in terms of heart, he’s like a lion and what he brings to this bowling attack, whenever he does have the ball in hand, you always feel like something’s going to happen,” he added.

The assistant coach has confirmed that Bumrah will not be rested for the fourth Test of the England series in Manchester. With India trailing 1-2 in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, the team will be eager to bounce back and level the five-match series.

“We know we have got him for one of the last two Tests. It’s pretty obvious that the series is on the line now in Manchester so there will be a leaning towards playing him,” Ten Doeschate said.

“But again, we have got to look at all the factors: how many days of cricket are we going to get up there, what do we feel is our best chance of winning that game, and then how that fits in together with The Oval. And looking at the last two games holistically as part of the series,” he added.