Daijiworld Media Network – Manchester
Manchester, Jul 18: With the fourth Test between India and England set to begin at Old Trafford from July 23, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has refuted media reports attributing comments to him regarding Jasprit Bumrah’s workload. Taking to social media, Irfan called out the misinformation and clarified that he never questioned the Indian team’s decision-making.
“Absolutely not. If Bumrah wanted to bowl another over or asked the captain for one when Joe Root came in, no team or management in the world would stop him. So please stop spreading fake news—I never questioned Team India on this,” Irfan wrote on X.
This comes amid discussions over Bumrah’s workload, with the pacer having played only the first and third matches of the ongoing five-Test series. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar earlier confirmed that Bumrah was being carefully managed due to a prior back injury sustained during the Sydney Test against Australia.
Despite Bumrah's limited appearances, his impact has been significant. At Headingley, he led the Indian bowling with figures of 5/83, although India eventually lost by five wickets. In the third Test at Lord’s, Bumrah delivered a fiery performance with match figures of 7/112, but India fell short by 22 runs.
With India trailing 1-2 in the series and just two Tests remaining, there is increasing pressure to field their premier fast bowler in Manchester. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate hinted at Bumrah’s inclusion but stopped short of a confirmation.
“No, we'll make that call (on Bumrah) in Manchester still. We know we have got him for one of the last two Tests. It’s pretty obvious that the series is on the line now in Manchester, so there will be a leaning towards playing him,” ten Doeschate said after Thursday’s training.
He added that conditions, match duration, and strategies for both remaining Tests will be factored in before finalising the XI.
With the stakes high and momentum crucial, all eyes are on whether India will unleash their pace spearhead to level the series in Manchester.