Jasprit Bumrah playing just three Tests in England decided during Champions Trophy: 'He will revisit plan if...'

The decision to have Jasprit Bumrah play just three Tests in the five-match series against England was taken during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, according to Team India's former strength and conditioning coach, Soham Desai. The ace speedster, 31, played all five Tests against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, he suffered a back spasm during the last Test in Sydney and as a result, he missed three months of competitive cricket, including the Champions Trophy, which India won. The decision to have Jasprit Bumrah play just three Tests against England was taken during the Champions Trophy. (AP)

All signs are leading towards Bumrah missing the second Test against Edgbaston, even when India run the risk of going 0-2 down. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna disappointed in the first Test as they leaked runs consistently, easing the pressure on England.

Bumrah bowled a total of 43.4 overs in Headingley. He returned with five wickets in the first innings. But he went wicketless in the second innings as England chased down 371 to gain a 1-0 lead. There was a seven-day gap between the first and second Tests. However, it seems like Bumrah would now be available for the third Test at Lord's Cricket Ground.

Even when the hosts were 85 runs away from the target, India captain Shubman Gill refrained from bringing Bumrah into the attack, signalling that Bumrah's workload would be managed midway through the contest.

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"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,” Soham Desai told the Times of India.

Desai also revealed that management makes the initial plans regarding workload, but Jasprit Bumrah usually takes the final call. He also stated that the plan can always be revisited if the pacer feels there is a crucial juncture in the series.

“It then comes down to the team management and the bowler himself. It’s their call. If Bumrah feels this is a crucial juncture in the series, he usually revisits the plan. But one must take into account the ordeal he faces mentally every time he breaks down,” Desai said.

‘Set number of overs decided for Bumrah’

The former India strength and conditioning coach also revealed that the management already decides the number of overs Bumrah should bowl in a Test even before the match begins.

He revealed that Bumrah's back injury was triggered by him bowling a few extra overs without a breather during the Melbourne Test against Australia.

“I’ve known him since the ACL injury in 2014, during his days with the Gujarat domestic team. He is always trying to understand how his body responds to different circumstances,” Desai said.

“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 added.

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