Credit: BCCI
Speedster Mohammed Siraj appeared as a knight in shining armour for the Indian team in the fifth test. With the early breakthroughs of Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton on the final day, he delivered when his team needed him the most. Apart from that he is among those players from the Indian side who played all the five Test matches, bowling 1113 balls in 185.3 overs. His stellar performance has however reportedly raised eyebrows within the BCCI as contrastingly India’s leading pacer Jasprit Bumrah was absent from the fifth test due to workload concerns.
As the England Vs India series is concluded, reports speculate that the BCCI is set to clamp down on the practice of players selectively choosing matches and series under the guise of workload management. It is also claimed that this development is driven by the influence of head coach Gautam Gambhir and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, signals a new era of accountability and team-first culture, aimed at ensuring that India’s top cricketers prioritize national duty across all formats. “There have been discussions, and the message will be sent across to the centrally contracted players, especially those who are all-format regulars, that this culture of picking and choosing games won’t be entertained in the near future,” a senior official of BCCI said to PTI on the condition of anonymity.
Jasprit Bumrah’s body took a tool during the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25
However, the report by PTI also mentions that BCCI confirms that the approach of workload management will not be ousted. “It doesn’t mean workload management will be thrown out of the window, but a more objective approach is expected,” the official added. Ahead of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, BCCI and Indian team management reportedly came on a decision that Jasprit Bumrah will feature in just three out of the five scheduled matches, to keep himself away from the injury concerns.
In the previous overseas outing of India for the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, Jasprit Bumrah’s body took a toll as he could not bowl during the fourth innings in the fifth Test due to a back injury, ruling him out of action for a few months during which he also missed the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. In the series against Australia, Bumrah bowled around 152 overs claiming 32 wickets. In the recently concluded series against England, Jasprit Bumrah bowled around 44 overs in the first Test played at Headingley, which India lost. After the test the speculations of Bumrah’s injury risk also increased. After the first test, Bumrah played in the third and the fourth Test of the series.
