17 June,2025 06:38 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Jasprit Bumrah (Pic: File Pic)
Former cricketer Dinesh Karthik feels Team India should use Jasprit Bumrah's services in the first, second and fourth Test in England.
"I have a feeling from hearing whatever I heard that he has been played to play three Test matches. But I have a feeling he will play one, two, and four. These are the numbers that I look at because these are the Tests enough and more breaks," Karthik said on the Sky Sports podcast.
During India's squad announcements, chief selector Ajit Agarkar confirmed that the pacer was advised not to play in consecutive Test matches as part of his workload management.
Previously, during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Bumrah sustained a back injury and underwent surgery. Following the post-surgery recovery process, the 31-year-old pacer also missed Team India's Champions Trophy triumph. He returned to the action during the Mumbai Indians' IPL 2025 campaign. Later, during the pre-departure press conference, head coach Gautam Gambhir stated that they are yet to make a call on which Test matches Bumrah will make his appearances.
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Former cricketers have speculated about the best possible use of the 31-year-old, and Karthik sees Headingley, Edgbaston, and Manchester as the ideal venues to put Bumrah in the thick of the action.
The Indian team will receive more than a week's gap between those Tests, providing enough break to regain match fitness.
Further, Karthik said that irrespective of the series, he wouldn't be surprised if Bumrah is requested to play the fifth Test match.
"When you go to the fourth Test, if you are 2-1 behind or 1-2 ahead, whatever it could be, I wouldn't be surprised if the fifth Test becomes a bit of a request to him, saying, please, can you think about it," he added.
Team India will enter the five-match Test series under the captaincy of their newly appointed skipper, Shubman Gill.
India Squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc, wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudarshan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.
(With ANI Inputs)
