Opinion: Jasprit Bumrah is rarest of rare, but it’s time to discuss whether he can pick and choose Test matches

If you have come this far, you know what we are talking about: Should Jasprit Bumrah be allowed to pick and choose which Test matches he plays for India? Now, before anyone accuses me of undervaluing Bumrah or being insensitive toward the 31-year-old pacer, who has constantly battled back injuries, I would say, hold on till the end.

Yes, Bumrah is rare! Not just in Indian cricket, but globally. How often do we see a bowler who can consistently take the pitch out of the equation? Remember the first Test between India and England of the recently concluded series at Headingley, Leeds? Indian bowlers, including the eventual hero of the series, Mohammed Siraj, were leaking runs like the annoying tap in our kitchen that has endured multiple plumbing fixes but refuses to do its job.

In the first innings of that match, Praisdh Krishna, who would go on to ride a beautiful redemption arc in the series, gave away runs at an economy of 6.40, while Siraj went at 4.50. Shardul Thakur got six overs and was clobbered at a rate of 6.30. And Bumrah? He gave away runs at just 3.40 and took five wickets as well. This, on a pitch where 364 was the lowest score across four completed innings, and England successfully chased down 372 to take a 1-0 lead.

Bumrah: A bowler with no competition

First match of a highly-anticipated series without Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin, and the senior statesman set the tone from the very start. That’s Bumrah for you. He doesn’t need helpful conditions or a lot of support from the other end. The ball speaks his language when he is delivering it, and the batters shiver at his sight.

For those who love data, sample this. Among the bowlers to have played more than 30 Tests, Bumrah has the third-best strike after Kagiso Rabada (38.98) and Dale Steyn (42.38). The Gujarat pacer has the best average of 19.82 for bowlers to have played more than 33 Tests.

Now, that’s unparalleled. It shows class over a sustained period.

So, why are we even hinting at the fact that Bumrah should be sidelined in Test cricket? Not because the legendary Sunil Gavaskar compared workload management and the agony of an Indian Army soldier at the border. We don’t seek to compare apples and oranges, or even Siraj and Bumrah.

What Siraj did in the five-match series against England, bowling 1113 balls in 185.3 overs, emerging as the only bowler to play in all matches across both teams, and bowling at least 361 deliveries more than anyone, was beyond belief. That he was also the highest wicket-taker with 23 scalps, and the final delivery of the series, bowled by him to Gus Atkinson, sealing the Oval match, was the fifth quickest by the Hyderabad cricketer, shows his insane ability to squeeze out every possible drop of energy from his body.

Similarly, Bumrah has had multiple such away Test tours in his career that began in 2018. The most recent being the Australian tour, which the workhorse ended as the highest wicket-taker with 32 scalps in five matches, captaining in two of them. But we all remember how it ended: Bumrah going for scans and not bowling in the final innings.

The back-spasm issue later turned into a serious injury, forcing the talisman to miss the victorious Champions Trophy 2025 campaign .

Bumrah, who underwent back surgery in March 2023, no longer has the body that was once one of his greatest strengths when he burst onto the international scene in 2016. This was bound to happen. His slingy action, the packed international calendar, and the intensity of the Indian Premier League were always likely to take a toll, and they did. As a result, a decision was made for Bumrah to play only three of the five Tests in England. Head coach Gautam Gambhir announced it before India’s departure.

And in England, it turned out to be exactly the same. He played three and missed out on two, including the last one, a must-win game at the Oval, reportedly due to a knee injury . But whenever he played, it wasn’t without a few questions.

He could not turn up at Edgbaston despite a seven-day gap between the first and second Test. When he played in his third Test, the fourth of the series at Manchester, Bumrah looked a pale shadow of himself, conceding 100 or more runs in a Test innings for the first time. At Old Trafford in Manchester, only 0.5% of the deliveries that he bowled in the first innings were above 140kph. That hurts, right?

Bumrah is all-in or a no-go. Watching him toil like an ordinary bowler made me realise that perhaps it’s time for India to manage their star pacer differently.

How should BCCI handle Bumrah?

There are serious question marks over Bumrah’s longevity at the moment, and it could only get worse with growing age and fresh injuries. In such a case, giving him an option to play a few Test matches of a series can’t be the best option.

Not because we don’t need Bumrah, but perhaps because we need him more elsewhere. The T20 World Cup is coming up next year, and the ODI World Cup follows in 2027. India have long dreamt of building a streak of ICC trophy wins and establishing themselves as a dominant force. Bumrah could be the key to that enviable dream. Surely, the BCCI knows it.

It would allow India to firm up a regular bowling attack in Tests, because let’s be honest, constant chopping and changing hampers rhythm and team plans. A few fans have also said that allowing one member of the team to pick and choose games can set a bad precedent, but if that’s the case, the team management would be the first to act.

What we clearly know is that for the first time, Bumrah is looking mortal. But if managed well, he can still take India to major trophy wins, which is what he deserves.