India are set to take on England in the first Test of the five-match series on June 20 at Leeds, with the next four Tests scheduled to be played in Edgbaston, Lord’s, Old Trafford, and The Oval, respectively.

As India begin their journey in the new cycle (2025-2027) of the World Test Championship, they will look to get the best possible start. But the concern is whether Jasprit Bumrah will be able to play all five Test matches of the England series - India’s first overseas tour in the new WTC cycle.

The BCCI had earlier made it clear that Bumrah would not play all the matches, as the board wants to keep him injury-free by managing his workload. While announcing the Indian squad for the England series on May 24, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said that Bumrah would miss a couple of Tests in England. On June 5, India head coach Gautam Gambhir reaffirmed this during the team’s press conference ahead of the departure for England.

But India’s former bowling coach Bharat Arun, who oversaw the rise of Bumrah during his tenure with Team India from 2017 to the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, said the 31-year-old fast bowler can play all five matches.

Arun said Bumrah cannot be used too much or too little as that cause injury. “They are a perfect recipe for some bowler to get injured. So, obviously, we cannot control the number of overs that Jasprit Bumrah bowls in a match,” Arun was quoted as saying by RevSportz.

“But according to the number of overs he bowls in the match, the practice sessions can be toned down for him where he needs to be working on his recovery. It can be a strength training session in the gym or some recovery work with the physios,” added the coach.

“So, handling him will be very crucial. And as you rightly mentioned, Bumrah’s presence in the team adds huge value. Not only does he do well, but he also rallies the other bowlers,” said Arun.

Arun also emphasised that for Bumrah to play all five Tests in England, there has to be strong support from other Indian bowlers.

“So, ideally, I would expect him to play all the Test matches. If there is very good support from the other bowlers, Bumrah can be preserved and play in all the five Test matches. If he is going to be bowling, taking a lot of the workload, then I am afraid he will not be ready for all five Tests. So, how the other bowlers support him becomes very vital. So, we have got to take it as you go, rather than saying he is good for the first three Test matches, and then you need to give him a break. The other bowlers can help Bumrah play in all the Test matches if they are bowling really well,” Bharat said.

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