Ahead of the five-series test match in England commencing June 20, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah showcased his excitement about playing in the series that will mark the beginning of the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, but also opened up about the challenges of playing with the Duke ball.
Speaking to Michael Clarke in the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast, Bumrah said that playing in England is always a different challenge. “I don’t know how much is the Duke ball doing right now. However, I do love bowling with it,” he said.
Commenting on what bowling style he will adopt to keep the English players under pressure in red ball cricket, he said that his forte will be to play an interesting style of cricket despite not being able to grasp it too much. “As a bowling unit, you know, we always feel confident that when the batters are being ultra aggressive on a given day, anybody could run through and you know, get wickets," Bumrah told Clarke in the podcast.
When asked about the increasing toll it takes on cricketers while playing across formats, the right-arm pacer said the physical toll of playing all three formats affects them, as managing workload becomes increasingly important.
"Yeah, it is obviously tough for any individual to keep playing everything. I've been doing it for a while, but eventually you have to understand where your body is going and which tournament is more important. So you have to be a little selective and smart about how you use your body," he added.
Bumrah’s focus on health: The 31-year-old bowler shared his transformation and prioritising his health over expectations. "The journey is going good so far. The day I realise the drive is gone, or the effort isn't there, or my body isn't holding up--that's when I'll take a call, but right now I'm okay," he shared.
Achievements: Bumrah received the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year and the Men's Test Cricketer of the Year in 2024 in recognition of his outstanding accomplishments in all formats. With 11 wickets, he was instrumental in India's successful 2024 T20 World Cup campaign in the Americas. In addition, he took an outstanding 71 wickets in just 13 Test matches in 2023.
Added workload: Jasprit Bumrah's excessive workload during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) raised serious concerns. Discussions centered on Bumrah's performance and level of fitness, particularly after he had a back injury from stress during the final Test match in Sydney. With 32 wickets, he contributed significantly, but was heard saying “Enough for now, I am not able to push any further," on the stump microphone during the fourth Test.
India’s test record in England: Since 2007, India hasn’t won a Test series in England. However, the men in blue came close to beating the ‘Three Lions’ four years ago in 2021, with the series ending in a 2-2 draw.