Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir feels that Jasprit Bumrah can be even more threatening in India and has opined that it is important for the team management to not allow Bumrah to burn out.
Jasprit Bumrah is the latest entry among a host of Indian pacers who has suffered an injury. The ace pacer is likely to miss the series-deciding 4th Test at Gabba, Brisbane due to an abdominal strain.
Gautam Gambhir expects Jasprit Bumrah to be the leader of the Indian pace attack for the time to come, with other senior pacers injured, and has urged the Indian team management to be careful with Jasprit Bumrah’s workload management during the home series against England.
"See again, he hasn’t played a Test match in India till now, Has he? He hasn’t. So, I’m sure the Indian team management has looked after Jasprit Bumrah reasonably well. They have actually used him in places like England, South Africa, and Australia, where he has got to be even more threatening," Gautam Gambhir said on the Cricket Connected Show on Star Sports,”
Ever since Jasprit Bumrah debuted for India in 2018, the pacer is yet to play a Test on home soil and the Gautam Gambhir feels that pacer will be even more threatening in Indian conditions.
"I’m not saying he is not going to be threatening in India. He is going to be even more threatening in India, where wickets can get low and slow and he can reverse the ball really well. His quality. It’s just his quality and the lengths he bowls, and the amount of pressure he puts the batsman under.
Whether he is bowling with an old ball or a new ball. From the time he started, the ball which goes away from the right hand and he is able to bring the ball back in, has made it even more dangerous,” said Gautam Gambhir.
With Team India set to play a lot of international cricket in the year ahead, Gautam Gambhir, 39, feels India will be better off being selective in Bumrah’s selection, as he is a key player for the team in all three formats of the game.
“But then again, you got to look after him as well, because he is going to be the leader of the attack for a very long time, so him being fit is very important, so when India plays England for the 4th Test match.
I know, yes, Mohd Shami is unfit, Ishant Sharma is unfit, Umesh Yadav is unfit but you can’t afford to play Jasprit Bumrah all the 4 Test matches, it will be very unfair on him,” he said.
India has a packed calendar leading up to the T20 World Cup. They will host England for 5 T20Is, 3 ODIs, and 4 Tests, the first of which will be played on 5th February.
In the ongoing Border-Gavaskar trophy Jasprit Bumrah has bowled the most number of overs (117.4) amongst the pacers from both teams.
