The decision by India to allegedly limit Jasprit Bumrah to just three Test matches in the current five-match series against England has drawn criticism from former South Africa captain AB de Villiers. De Villiers, who referred to Test cricket as the "ultimate form of the game," was taken aback and implied that India might be mishandling their best fast bowler.

On his YouTube channel, the 41-year-old Proteas great argued persuasively for Bumrah's complete availability, drawing comparisons to South Africa's handling of Dale Steyn's workload.

"He is probably the top bowler in the world in all formats right now. In my opinion, this Test series would've been the one to get him ready for all five matches. That's what we did with Dale - rest him in less important T20 and ODI series and have him fully ready for the big Test tours - Australia, England, India,” De Villiers said on his YouTube channel.

Jasprit Bumrah suffered a stress reaction to his back, which was surgically repaired in 2023, during the Sydney Test against Australia earlier this year. He then missed three months of cricket, including the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. He only returned in IPL 2025 and revealed that his surgeon and the BCCI medical team suggested his workload be managed.

Bumrah has been advised to play only three Tests in the ongoing five-match series, and the pacer has already played in the first Test in Leeds. He picked a fifer in the first innings and went wicketless in the second innings.

AB de Villiers questioned whether the decision was influenced by medical advice. De Villiers stressed that unless Bumrah is nursing a serious injury, he must feature in the remaining matches.

"Maybe the surgeon told him he can't play all five. If that's the case, you've got to respect it. But if it's about workload, then I'm not sure they've gone about it the right way. It doesn't get bigger than a five-Test series against England, other than maybe the WTC final. If he's fit, he must play. If not, I understand the caution," he added.

In a cheeky aside, De Villiers suggested that India might be bluffing to surprise England.

“Maybe it's part of the plan - say he'll miss some games and then play all five. Hopefully, that's the surprise with India 0-1 down. It's a big opportunity for someone like Arshdeep Singh or maybe Kuldeep Yadav to step up," De Villiers concluded.