Bumrah confirms he will be ready for the first Test against England on June 20. There were concerns about his fitness but he has assured everyone that he’s good to go for the first game and looking to play three Tests in the series.
In an interview with Dinesh Karthik on Sky Sports, Bumrah spoke about managing his workload. He said he will definitely play the first Test but how many more he plays will depend on how the matches go and how he feels. I’m looking at playing three Test matches. That’s the plan for now. The first one is definitely on but we’ll see about the others based on the workload and match situations. Right now, I think I can handle three Tests without pushing myself too hard, Bumrah said.
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He also said as a captain he can’t just say he’ll only play three games as that wouldn’t be fair to the team. I want to give my best as a player and contribute as much as I can. So in the matches I do play I will give it my all, he added.
With Shubman Gill as the new Test captain of India, Bumrah becomes the senior bowler. His experience is even more important since Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli aren’t part of red-ball cricket right now. Bumrah was even considered for captaincy after leading India in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia but he decided to focus on his fitness and workload instead.
Bumrah’s fitness has been a concern for a while now, especially with his injury history. He missed part of the Border-Gavaskar series due to an injury and also had to sit out the Champions Trophy which India won under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar said Bumrah will only be available for three Tests in the England series but which ones will depend on how he’s feeling.
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As Gill leads the team for the first time, having Bumrah around will be crucial for guiding India’s bowling team through these tough away Tests.
