Why Was Jasprit Bumrah Released From India's Squad Ahead of Day Two's Play?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Bumrah's release highlights importance of player health.
- Leading wicket-taker in the series.
- Strategic planning for the team's future matches.
- Workload management becoming a priority for teams.
- India's updated squad showcases depth in talent.
London, Aug 1 (NationPress) Jasprit Bumrah, the fast-bowling leader for India, has been officially released from the national squad after he was not included in the playing XI for the ongoing fifth match of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England at The Oval. This decision was made due to workload management, as stated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Bumrah was absent from the Indian team bus prior to the start of day two's play. The BCCI confirmed, “Mr. Jasprit Bumrah has been released from India’s squad for the fifth Test of the series against England. The final Test of the series is currently taking place at Kennington Oval, London.”
Before the start of the five-match series in England, chief selector Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir indicated that Bumrah would not participate in more than three Tests during the tour for the sake of managing his workload. He played in the first Test at Headingley, Leeds, and then the third and fourth matches at Lord’s and Old Trafford, Manchester, respectively.
In his three appearances, Bumrah has taken 14 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls, having bowled a total of 119.4 overs at an average of 26, making him the leading wicket-taker for India in this series. Although it was anticipated that he might play in the fifth Test at The Oval, he did not make it to the playing eleven.
“We certainly want to utilize him, but we also need to respect his physical condition, and based on that, we felt it was not appropriate to include him in the squad. He has bowled a significant number of overs, which may not always be evident since he has only played three Tests and bowled in just one innings in Manchester,” explained India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate after day one’s play.
The updated Indian squad for the fifth Test is as follows: Shubman Gill (C), KL Rahul (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj, Arshdeep Singh, and N Jagadeesan (WK).