'People Don't Understand...': Bhuvneshwar Defends Bumrah's Decision To Play 3 Tests
In three matches of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Bumrah bowled 119.4 overs and picked up 14 wickets, which includes two five-wicket hauls.
World No. 1 Test bowler Jasprit Bumrah played only three Tests for India in the recently concluded five-match series against England. Bumrah's decision to play only three red-ball matches in England invited him criticism from the likes of Sandeep Patil and many other greats of the game as well, but on Thursday (August 14) he found support in Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Bhuvneshwar defended Bumrah's decision to play only three Test matches in England.
According to Bhuvneshwar, who has a five-wicket haul to his name in a red-ball match played at Lord's, he has no problem with Bumrah playing 3 out of five matches. He also added that people don't understand how tough it is for a player to keep playing all three formats.
'With the kind of bowling action Bumrah has, injuries can happen to him or to anyone. Considering how many years Bumrah has been playing & competing in all formats, it is tough for anyone to sustain that. I had no problem with him playing 3 out of 5 matches. If the selectors know what he can offer & are okay with it, it's because they know he can still make a big impact in those 3 games. If a player might not play all five matches but will contribute significantly in three, that should be okay. People don't always understand how tough it is to keep playing for so many years across formats," Bumrah said in a recent podcast on YouTube.
Bumrah played in the first, third and fourth Tests of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy and picked up a total of 14 wickets in five innings. He bowled a total of 119.4 overs in the away series and picked up two five-wicket hauls. However, in both the matches where Bumrah dismissed five batters in an innings, India suffered a defeat.
Bumrah, who has 219 wickets to his name in 48 Test matches, is expected to be part of India's Asia Cup squad. The 2025 edition of the men's Asia Cup will be in T20I format from September 9 to 28 in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. India will open their campaign on September 10 in Dubai against the UAE and take on Pakistan in their second Group A match on September 14 at the same venue. India's third group match is against Oman in Abu Dhabi.
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