IND vs ENG: Three or Five? Jasprit Bumrah’s Test Availability Finally Confirmed

One of the biggest questions before the India vs England Test series was how many matches Jasprit Bumrah would actually play. Some people guessed two and others thought maybe three. Now, we finally have an answer. Head coach Gautam Gambhir has confirmed that Bumrah will only play in three Tests. He shared this update on Thursday, just before the team left for England.

That said, the team hasn’t yet decided exactly which three Tests Jasprit Bumrah will play. He might go in every other match, or he could be rested after the first two games. They’re doing this to look after their best fast bowler, especially since he picked up another back injury in the last Test against Australia.

“We haven’t decided yet which three matches Bumrah will play,” Gambhir said at the press conference. “We’ll talk to him and see how the series goes. A lot will depend on how things unfold during the series. Bumrah understands that too, and it’s an important part of managing things smartly.”

“It’s never easy to replace someone like Jasprit Bumrah. But we do have quality options. I’ve said it before even during the Champions Trophy that when he’s not playing, it’s a chance for someone else to step up and make the most of it.” he added.

India Plans Bumrah Workload Management Amid Injury Concerns

As per several reports, concerns about Jasprit Bumrah’s recurring back injury being potentially career-threatening have led the team management to carefully manage his workload for the England series. While it’s still undecided who will take his place in the games he misses, India has a strong pool of pacers to rely on, including Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Akash Deep, and Arshdeep Singh. Bumrah was in brilliant form during the Australia series, where he ended as the highest wicket-taker with 32 wickets in five Tests, despite picking up an injury in the final game.

Shubman Gill shared confidence in the team’s pace attack, saying that even without Bumrah, India has bowlers who can win matches from any situation. “I think we’ve picked enough fast bowlers and many of them are in great form to help us win Test matches no matter the circumstances,”.

"Obviously when you have someone like Jasprit Bumrah, depending on how many matches he would play, whenever he would come back and play the match for us, it would be a great sight for us. But I think we have a great mix of bowlers and a great set of bowlers who can get the job for the team done," he added.

India vs England Test Series 2025 – Schedule

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