"Jasprit Bumrah Bowls 5 Overs And Waits": India's Work-Load Management Overdrive Slammed

NDTV

16-07-2025

India's loss against England at Lord's has raised a lot of question marks on the Shubman Gill -led side. Twice in three matches, India could not take control of the situation despite being in a great position. On the other hand, England's efforts have been lauded by all. Especially, the hard work put in by England captain Ben Stokes. He scored 44 and 33 with the bat. With the ball, he returned with figures of 2/63 in 20 overs in the first innings and 3/48 in 24 overs in the second essay. That effort earned him the Player of the Match.
His work-rate impressed 2007 T20 World Cup winner Irfan Pathan, who pointed fingers at the much discussed workload management of the Indian players. Jasprit Bumrah, India's pace spearhead, is only going to play three Tests in the five-match series as part of his workload management.
"Ben Stokes bowled a marathon 9.2 overs spell in the morning on Day Five. He is a 4D player. He bowls, bats and executes a crucial run out of Rishabh Pant but there is no talk of workload management. But in India we talk about workload management," Irfan Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
"Jasprit Bumrah bowls five overs and waits for Joe Root to come out to bat when you need to control the game (in the second innings). You had your workload management when you were not playing. During the match, you don't do workload management. There we could have improved. You have to win at all costs during a match. I said the same thing during commentary also.
"Archer was playing a Test match after four years but he did not stop. He bowled a six-over spell in the morning before returning to bowl again. Ben Stokes did not think about workload at all. He boels spell after spell. If he can bowl nine overs, hum toh peeche rah gaye (Indian pacers were left behind)," he said.
Irfan Pathan also pointed out that the 31 extras in the first innings and the 32 extras in the second innings that India conceded, came back to bite Shubman Gill-led side real bad.
"India also gave too many extras. If India would have given half the extras, we could have done far better."
India are trailing 1-2 in the five-Test Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The fourth Test starts in Manchester on July 23.