Bumrah likely to be rested for Mumbai Test

Jasprit Bumrah is likely to miss the third and final Test of the series against New Zealand in Mumbai. Bumrah was with the team when they began training at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday, but all he did were some light fitness work and some fielding drills. He did not bowl during either of the training sessions that India had at the stadium.

It is understood that Bumrah doesn’t have an injury, and it’s not known yet if the team management wanted to rest him or Bumrah himself wanted to be rested.

The news that Bumrah could miss the game came to light shortly after head coach Gautam Gambhir mentioned that all the players were available for selection, and brushed aside concerns about Bumrah not bowling at training.

“I think he [Bumrah] is just done his preparations,” Gambhir said on Thursday, “I think we know how the weather is in Mumbai, so obviously he needs to conserve his energy as well. So he’s done his bowling, he’s prepared really well, and he’s fine. That’s why he’s a senior player, he knows how much he needs to prepare for the Test match.”

Bumrah has played all four Tests of the home season so far, and has bowled the third-most overs (90) and picked up the third-most wickets (14) . He was handed the vice-captaincy of the team recently and is in line to lead them at the start of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in November, when Rohit Sharma is expected to miss the first Test for personal reasons. Given his other role as the team’s bowling leader, India will want Bumrah to be fit and firing for each of the five Tests of that tour, which begins on November 18 and goes through to January 7.

There were no indications from the team management, in the two days they attended training at the Wankhede, that Bumrah would miss the game. Assistant coach Abhishek Nayar even highlighted how India’s recent Tests haven’t really gone the distance and that Bumrah’s workload hadn’t hit the levels where they would be concerned about him.

“In the two Test matches that he’s bowled [against New Zealand] around 20-25 overs. So he hasn’t bowled a lot,” Nayar said on Wednesday. “Yes, there will always be a thought process about his workload. Also we played two games that we’ve not had five-day cricket, it’s more three, three-and-a-half. So he’s got ample rest. But Booms is very important to us and his workload will always be something on our mind.”

Fast bowlers are unlikely to get a lot of assistance from the Mumbai pitch that has been prepared. The red soil should ensure there is good bounce and the early-morning moisture combined with the new ball might provide a small window for them to do a little damage, but largely it is the spinners to whom both teams will be turning to. India have already gone down 2-0, their first series defeat at home in 12 years, making the Test something of a dead rubber, although there are WTC points at stake. India are on top of the WTC table and fighting for a spot in the final at Lord’s in June 2025.