Jasprit Bumrah was ‘pretty clear, knew what he wanted to do’ in England: ‘Players convey same message, they get dropped’

Ajinkya Rahane, the seasoned India batter, lauded Jasprit Bumrah for the clarity with which he approached the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England. Before the five-match series even began, the No.1 Test bowler informed the BCCI, captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir about his availability for just the three Tests. The 31-year-old played the first, third and fourth Tests against Ben Stokes' England. Jasprit Bumrah played three Tests in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. (AP)

Bumrah returned with two five-wicket hauls at Headingley and Lord's. In total, he scalped 14 wickets in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Midway through the final Test at the Oval, which India eventually won by six runs, Bumrah was released from the squad on Day 2.

Rahane, who led India to a thrilling 2-1 win against Australia Down Under in 2020-21, said Bumrah was exceptional in having the clarity about his workload and how he wanted to proceed ahead in the series.

“What I liked about the Bumrah situation was that he was pretty clear; he knew what he wanted to do before the series. He said, 'I'll play the first one, I won't play the second one, and then I'll play the third'. Great clarity for a captain. It shows that he has the courage to tell the captain and management to be really clear,” Rahane said on his YouTube channel.

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“It also shows that he is keeping the team ahead of himself. Sometimes it is not easy to do so when you are playing for India. As a player, when you are representing India, it's not easy. Sometimes players convey the same message to the team, and then they get dropped,” he added.

Bumrah wanted the team to be well-prepared

Rahane also had some advice for Gambhir, Gill, and Agarkar. He said that if the management wants him to be available for all the Tests India plays, then Bumrah should be used for short bursts, such as a spell of three or four overs, and nothing more than that.

“It just shows that he wanted the team to be well prepared even when he wasn't playing. Because of his unique action, there is a lot of load on his body. If you want Bumrah to play all five Tests, then use him in smaller spells like 3 overs or 4 overs,” said Rahane.

“I think England were wary of Bumrah when he was playing; 'Bazball' didn't come out to the full extent. When Bumrah wasn't there, they played a little freely. It is important to use him properly; you have to give him the luxury to get the best out of him,” he added.

Earlier, Bumrah had played all five Tests against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, midway through the final game in Sydney, Bumrah suffered a back spasm, which led to his missing the Champions Trophy.

Since 2020, Bumrah has bowled more than 1,000 overs in Tests, and his workload has led to chatter about his potential future in the longest format.

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