No Indian bowler delivered more overs than Jasprit Bumrah at Lord’s. Yet, former all-rounder Irfan Pathan feels his workload wasn’t managed properly. However, there is a twist. Pathan isn’t saying that Bumrah was over-bowled, but rather that India captain Shubman Gill should have given him more overs.
No workload management during the match
He cited how Ben Stokes delivered an opening spell of 9.2 overs on the trot on the last day of the third Test. Jofra Archer also delivered a 6-over spell as well, despite returning to Test cricket after 4 years. Meanwhile, Bumrah only bowled a 5-over spell on the morning of the fourth day despite being fresh.
“Ben Stokes bowled a marathon 9.2 over spell in the morning on day five. What a player he is. He bowls, bats, and executes a crucial run out of Rishabh Pant, but there is no talk of workload management. But with India it is not like that,” Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
The all-rounder thinks that Bumrah should have been told to bowl a longer opening spell and workload management shouldn’t be a concern during a Test match. One has to put their body on the line, just like Archer and Stokes did.
“Bumrah bowls five overs and waits for Joe Root to come out to bat when you need to control the game (in the second innings). It was disappointing. His workload was managed, having not played at Edgbaston. When you play a match, there is no workload. You have to win at all costs. The Indian camp could have done that better.”
“Archer was playing a Test match after four years but he did not stop. He bowled a six-over spell in the morning before returning to bowl again. Ben Stokes did not think about workload at all; if he can bowl nine overs, hum toh peeche rah gaye (Indian pacers were left behind),” he added.
