Shubman Gill tight-lipped over Jasprit Bumrah’s involvement in West Indies series

Shubman Gill tight-lipped over Jasprit Bumrah’s involvement. (BCCI Photo)

Despite the typical commotion surrounding Jasprit Bumrah's workload, India Test captain Shubman Gill remained reticent about the speedster's role in the forthcoming two-match Test series against the West Indies.

Although Bumrah is a member of the team, it is unclear if the management will take the chance of switching straight from Twenty20 International to Test cricket given his selection so soon after India's Asia Cup victory.

Also Read | Shahid Afridi urges Mohsin Naqvi to step down as PCB chief after Asia Cup setback and drama

It was inevitable that Gill would be questioned about Bumrah's use in the series during the pre-game press conference. Even against a faltering West Indies team, Bumrah's pace is thought to be vital given the high stakes and the fact that this is India's first home Test assignment of the current World Test Championship cycle and their first since their 0-3 thumping at the hands of New Zealand last year.

Gill emphasized, though, that Bumrah's role will be determined game-by-game.

"We will take a call on match to match (basis), how long a game goes and how many overs a bowler bowls. Nothing is pre-decided," Gill said.

Bumrah missed out against Oman and Sri Lanka but played in all but two of India's seven Asia Cup games. He finished with seven wickets in five games, bowling most of his overs, frequently three in the powerplay. Ryan van Doeschate, the assistant coach for India, also discussed during the competition how the Asia Cup helped Bumrah get ready for the Tests.

"Also bearing in mind we have a Test match starting on Thursday. So, it's actually quite good preparation in terms of workload management. He's probably going to bowl a few overs in all the games and bowl in the region of 25-26 overs with the training and the preparation going into the game, which is a fairly good number the week before a Test," Ryan ten Doeschate said.

"So, if we have the luxury to have that option in the last game, we can look at it. But I'd say we're going to pick our best team for every game. He obviously fits into that picture...But we feel it's the right amount of work going into the Test match and obviously the importance of this competition as well," he added.

Earlier this year, India announced their rotation plans well in advance to control Bumrah's workload, and he only played in three of the five Test matches against England. However, that strategy had drawn criticism due to concerns over the management's handling of its top fast bowler. Even though Bumrah was rested for their warm-up before the first Test on October 2, the attitude seems to have changed this time.

The West Indies, meanwhile, come into the series fresh off a 0-3 Test thumping at the hands of Australia, a defeat that led to harsh criticism of the team's red-ball skills from their own legends. With WTC points as their first aim, India would be eager to complete a clean sweep at home after their 2-2 draw with England. Bumrah's performance and availability are therefore even more crucial.

Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj, who both made an impact against England even in games where Bumrah was not playing, are part of India's pace attack in addition to Bumrah. Nitish Kumar Reddy, another pace alternative, also adds batting depth.