Date: June 29, 2025
English:
Former South African star AB de Villiers has suggested that India should manage pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in the same way South Africa managed their legendary fast bowler Dale Steyn. Currently, India has decided that Bumrah will play only three out of five Tests in the ongoing series against England due to workload and injury concerns. However, de Villiers feels that the focus should be on making Bumrah available for every Test match in big series like this.
He stated, “Bumrah is arguably the best bowler across formats today, so managing his workload is tricky. But Test cricket is the ultimate. For Steyn, we used to rest him in T20s and some ODIs, but ensured he was fit and fresh for big Test series against Australia, England, India, or New Zealand depending on rankings.”
He added that it could be due to Bumrah’s recent recovery from injury and medical advice to avoid excessive stress. But de Villiers questioned if India’s workload management strategy was correct before such a crucial five-Test series, which he feels is as big as the WTC final. He emphasised that keeping Bumrah fit for Tests is vital for India’s success overseas.