Jasprit Bumrah's workload cap of just three Test matches in England was set months before, even before the 2025 Champions Trophy in February—March in Pakistan and the UAE, according to Soham Desai, the former strength and conditioning coach for the Indian men's squad.

In the fifth game of India's January tour of Australia, Bumrah suffered a severe back injury after dominating the first four Test matches. Even though India won the Champions Trophy without him, he missed the following three months of international cricket.

Bumrah made a comeback for the IPL and participated in every game except the opening couple. However, national selector Ajit Agarkar declared throughout the tournament that he would only play three or four Test matches.

Before the first Test in Headingley, Bumrah himself, captain Shubman Gill, and head coach Gautam Gambhir all confirmed that figure.

“When Bumrah couldn’t make it to the Champions Trophy, India’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) was studied, and it was decided that he would only play three Tests in England," Desai told The Times of India.

Additionally, Desai described how the team determines a player's workload and rest requirements.

“There are two ways to analyse the workload. There is an objective way we collect data from wearable GPS devices. And then there is a subjective way of observing how the bowler is behaving. There are certain benchmarks set for each player as ‘normal’ behaviour when they are at peak performance.

If it is observed that a bowler is moving differently or lacks a bit of intensity even in simple tasks like conversations in the team bus, these become markers," he added.

Despite speculation of Jasprit Bumrah playing the second Test at Edgbaston, India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has denied making the choice. According to Desai, venue-specific arrangements are decided upon well in advance of the series, and any modifications must be notified at least two days before the match's start.

Desai added that Bumrah's overwork in the fourth game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was a bigger factor in his injury in the fifth Test match in Sydney.

“There is a set number of overs that is decided for Bumrah to bowl per Test. One can go five-seven overs beyond that limit, but what needs to be seen is how those extra overs are bowled. At the MCG in the previous Test series, he bowled those extra overs without much of a breather between spells. That caused a spike in his workload, which triggered the back injury in Sydney," he said.

The second Test between England and India will begin on July 2 in Birmingham.