Former cricketer Gautam Gambhir is of the opinion that India’s premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah should be rested for the second Test against England. Bumrah has been playing continuously since the Indian Premier League (IPL) last year and is coming after a huge workload in Australia.
Rather he broke down ahead of the fourth Test against Australia and didn’t play the deciding game. Bumrah even bowled 36 overs in the first Test of the ongoing Test against England as the visitors piled on 578 runs in the first innings.
Gambhir also pointed out the same while also stating that Bumrah should be kept fresh for the day-night Test match in Ahmedabad which is the third game of the series. “I'm not even sure whether Bumrah should be picked for the second Test match. I think India should preserve him for the pink-ball Test match. See, Jasprit Bumrah is a X-Factor in the series, irrespective of what surfaces to play on and you've got to keep that in mind too,” Gambhir said while speaking to ESPNCricinfo.
Gautam Gambhir also opined that Bumrah’s workload should be managed carefully even during the match and he should be given short spells of three overs. “Jasprit Bumrah - you can't just keep bowling for longer sessions. Give him that short burst of three overs to try and pick a quick wicket, but not long spells because Bumrah is going to be very important going forward in the series. And if something happens to him, India is going to be in serious trouble,” he further added.