India’s premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was sensational in the first innings at Leeds. He ran in hard, bowled with heart, and walked away with a five-wicket haul in the first innings. However, he went wicketless in the second innings. But the fielders let him down badly as there were dropped catches.
Had they held on, India might have been in a completely different position in the match. Jasprit Bumrah did his part, and the rest did not. There is literally no doubt about Bumrah’s importance to India’s Test side. He is the leader of the attack, but with that comes risk because too much bowling, too many overs, increases the chances of fatigue or injury. It is exactly what Gautam Gambhir is trying to avoid in the first place.
Gautam Gambhir says he hasn’t decided which two matches Jasprit Bumrah will play
Speaking after the Leeds Test, India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, said, “I haven’t decided which two matches Jasprit Bumrah will play, but he will play a total of 3 Tests in this England tour. We need to manage his workload. Scoreline doesn’t change that he will play three tests only in this tour.”
Team India have made this mistake before, overplaying their key pacers in long tours and paying the price. Bumrah is too valuable to be burnt out in a single series. He has bowled 43.4 overs throughout the Leeds Test.
Gautam Gambhir said – "Haven’t decided which two matches Jasprit Bumrah will play but he will play a total of 3 Tests in this England tour. We need to manage his workload. Scoreline doesn’t change that he will play three Tests Only in this tour". (On Jasprit Bumrah). pic.twitter.com/yn53qK7w6p
— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) June 25, 2025
Even Shubman Gill echoed similar thoughts after the first Test. Talking about Bumrah’s availability and keeping the bowler’s workload in mind, he said, “It’s definitely more game by game; you know there’s a good break after the Test match, so once we’re close to the match, we’ll see.”
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India will have to be as smart as they can, as they can’t afford to throw Bumrah in every game and hope for miracles, especially when others around him aren’t stepping up. He needs support both on the field with catches and off it with workload management.
Meanwhile, England defeated India by five wickets at Leeds to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match Test series. The second Test begins on July 2 at Edgbaston in Birmingham. With seven days to go, India must now focus on regrouping and finding a fresh approach to outsmart the hosts and level the series.