Bumrah’s workload: will India protect its potent weapon with the proverbial pot of gold in sight?
The HinduWith a wry smile, he flicked his tee back with the thumb and forefinger of each hand like he does after each delivery and whirled around to the top of his bowling mark, half-nodding in appreciation at the quality of the stroke. Bumrah can wreak havoc on even the most benign of tracks because such is the quality he possesses; India’s trick will be to ensure that they don’t bowl Bumrah to the ground, but also spur him to stay physically fit and strong and mentally fresh so that he can play as many of these ten Tests as possible. It’s not even a luxury, it’s really an honour that you’ve got someone who’s playing for us and sitting in that dressing room who can make a difference at any stage of the game.” Bumrah was India’s joint second-highest wicket-taker against England earlier this year with 19 sticks, six of them coming in one memorable burst in the visitors’ first innings in the second Test in Visakhapatnam. It won’t be a surprise if, between them, skipper Rohit Sharma, Gambhir and selection panel chairman Ajit Agarkar challenge Bumrah to play all ten Tests these next few months. It’s there, more than in India, that the leadership group will want Bumrah at his fierce, fearsome best with India chasing an unprecedented hat-trick of Test series triumphs Down Under.